UCalgary Students’ Union food bank experiencing demand ‘never seen before’
Posted Nov 1, 2023 2:04 pm.
Last Updated Nov 8, 2023 9:07 am.
As inflation continues to hit Albertans hard, many university students are struggling to afford the very basics, and campus food banks are seeing double the demand.
Keeping the shelves stocked at the UCalgary Students’ Union food bank is becoming more challenging these days.
With the elevated cost of everything, many post-secondary students are prioritizing the cost of housing, tuition, books, and gas, and skipping out on groceries.
Ermia Rezaei-Afsah is the vice-president of student life, and says they’re having a hard time keeping up with the demand.
“We’re maxed out in the number of hamper requests we’re getting because of how high our demand is,” he said. “We’re getting 47 to 50 hampers a week, which is numbers we’ve really never seen before.”
In the 2022-23 academic year, the food bank completed 526 food hamper requests, up from a total of 227 the previous year.
During the month of October, the students’ union held a campus food drive to address student food insecurity.
But, they are anticipating an even higher demand during the winter months when students are paying even more for electricity and gas.
“The affordability crisis is the worst it’s ever been, the housing crisis in Calgary is the worst it’s ever been,” Rezaei-Afsah said. “So when it comes to making these difficult decisions — for students — food is the first thing that goes.”
The campus food bank is looking for non-perishable food donations as well as monetary donations, which they use to cater to various dietary needs of the diverse student population.
“We ask people what they eat, what they don’t eat, and we try and match their eating restrictions. Cash helps us do that most effectively,” the VP explains.
With the need so high, Rezaei-Afsah said the student community needs all the help it can get.
“We just as much community support as possible right now so we are prepared for the winter,” he said.
