Status update: September 20, 2022
As the University of Alberta welcomes students back to campus for the Fall 2022 semester, the Campus Food Bank has experienced uprecedented demand for our services. We are currently running a client survey and we are working hard on a full annual report to the campus community that will include the survey results, which we will release in October.
In the interim, we are thrilled that so many folks in the UofA community and broader Edmonton, as well as our campus and local media, have been so concerned about our increasing numbers. We provide this status update to share initial demand statistics for the semester so that our supporters can share our story. If you have any questions about this information, please get in touch.
Return to campus 2022
Usage numbers
In the first 16 days of September 2022, clients have already collected 350 hampers.
In the month of September 2021, a year ago, clients collected 274 hampers in total.
More than 200 new clients have registered with us in the first three weeks of the fall 2022 semester. One quarter of our new clients have households of four people or more, and 15 percent of individuals in our new clients’ households are under 18 years old.
In 2021, we had 75 new clients register in the same time period.
Our previous output records are:
120 hampers in one week in March 2022
130 hampers in one week in July 2022
182 hampers last week, Sept 12-16, 2022.
In 2019-20 school year, our monthly output was around 129 hampers on average. We're now giving out more than that each week.
We're also seeing more than doubled-demand spikes in our other programs like our grocery bus service and free breakfast program. Our Wednesday free breakfast program served almost 300 students last week.
Zooming out
The Campus Food Bank has been facing increasing demand for a while now.
Why is this happening?
We know that food security is impossible without income security. Students at the University of Alberta have faced exceptional tuition increases and we already know international tuition will increase a further six percent next year as the institution recovers budget shortfall from significant provincial cuts.
Anecdotally, international students are telling us that the University’s own budgeting tool does not reflect the rapidly rising price of groceries, for example, and they have arrived to be underprepared for the cost of buying food here.
International students and their spouses are prevented from working enough to pay the bills while in Canada. Full time international students are limited to working 20 hours per week and their partners must complete a months-long application process to acquire work permit.
We know that the pandemic has prevented students from accessing critical support networks such as student groups on campus, campus and city social supports, local religious communities, local recreation, and other services that help a person learn about a new city and gather resources.
Looking ahead
The Campus Food Bank is making changes to address this concerning uptick in demand.
We are currently running a new annual client survey to determine more about why and how students use our services, and we plan to report on that in October.
We are working with Community Service Learning students this semester to find locations for a network of snack stations to provide students with a quick bite closer to their classes.
We are working with the Industrial Design program to imagine how a 24/7 food pantry could be built on North Campus this spring.
We plan to reconfigure our office this semester to convert from a hamper model, where volunteers create hampers for clients with less client choice, to a grocery store model, where clients will come into our space and shop for themselves. This create both a more enjoyable experience for clients and a more efficient food delivery process.
We are actively working with our student volunteer committees to explore our options for learning about advocacy and to plan campaigns to improve food security in our community. If you are interested in participating, get in touch!
What can you do to help?
Make a donation directly on our website or by bringing items to our office.
Sign up to volunteer for our annual Trick or trEAT food drive (and get your costume ready)!
Check back in October when we will have more to say and more opportunities to help.
To conclude this update, it is important to thank our volunteers. The Campus Food Bank is supported by more than 100 volunteers who show up each week with patience, kindness, and a thoughtful dedication to this work. They make the CFB offices feel warm and welcoming. They are front line workers who, during their shift, often also act as supportive friends, resource researchers, child minders, and more. Every time we ask for more help, they show up. Our CFB volunteers are an incredible example of the power of love in crisis and there is no way to properly thank them. (There will be cupcakes at our fall volunteer picnic, however.)
Thank you everyone for your support of the Campus Food Bank.
Until next update,
The Campus Food Bank team
Bukky, Caitlin, Erin, and Madi
