How student-led programs are helping to ease hunger on Hamilton campuses
Mohawk College, McMaster University say food accessibility needs rising among students
This year's Make the Season Kind campaign is in support of Hamilton Food Share. Throughout December, CBC Hamilton is taking a look at food insecurity in the region and shining a light on local efforts to help.
First-year arts and science student Aaron Mohanathas says he's made good friends and connected with the McMaster University community, but he's lacking on another front: adopting healthy habits.
"I don't have the greatest sleeping or eating schedules yet because I'm not really used to campus food, and having to go get my groceries, and cooking by myself and stuff like that — it just takes a lot of time," he told CBC Hamilton.
On university and campus campuses across the region, food insecurity — such as not having access to sufficient or quality food to meet basic needs — is on the rise. It's affected 40 per cent of post-secondary students in the province, according to the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.
For his part in helping students, Mohanathas is also a volunteer at the McMaster Student Union Food Collective Centre (FCC), the on-campus food bank.
"It's not just making sure that students have food, but [raising awareness] about why maybe there's food insecurity and what they can do as students to make sure that they're being smart about spending on food."
Creating a 'stigma-free environment'
Cathy Jager, manager for nursing and wellness education at McMaster's Student Wellness Centre, said students who don't have a balanced diet risk having a lack of energy.
"You're not going to be able to study, get to class, get up in the morning — you're not going to be able to feel good," she told CBC Hamilton.
She said the stress of students not knowing where their next meal will come from can also add to poor health.
"Plus, it can be embarrassing for students."
Ella Ying, a McMaster student who's FCC's director, said that to create a "stigma-free environment," it's important for people to know that the food bank is run by students who have gone through similar experiences.
"We have faced food insecurity at some point in our lives," Ying told CBC Hamilton.
"So we understand exactly where we're coming from and can implement programs in a way that we know is accessible to students."
Colleges, universities see 'growing need'
Ying said there's been a big increase in the FCC's usage since opening its The Hub location, a new on-campus building managed by the McMaster Students Union, and also because of the "growing need" for food, especially post-pandemic.
"People are putting more money into other places and trying to leverage that with food ... to cover maybe things like rent and stuff like that, and I feel like that was contributing to the needs as well."
Other programs at the FCC include Lockers of Love, where students can anonymously order food items and have them delivered to a locker, the Good Food Box, which provides affordable produce, and a monthly cooking workshop, where students can learn to make accessible meals.
With the cooking workshop, "We're hoping to work with other cultural groups and MSU clubs or services just to make sure we get a variety of meals in there when students come to us," said Ying.
At Mohawk College, the student association is looking at ways to expand food services on all campuses.
Affordability is part of the reason many students find it difficult to get sufficient, quality food, said Pedro Nemezio, president of the Mohawk Students' Association. Nemezio noted their housing and other costs, with international students also paying higher tuition.
"The constant feedback that we got from students was that there was a need [for more food accessibility]," said Nemezio.
Among the expanded services, students can now get grab-and-go items twice a week instead of once, as part of the breakfast programs. The service is also now in place for the college's other campuses, in Stoney Creek and the Hamilton airport.
The program served from 2,500 to 3,000 breakfasts last year. The MSA expects that number to at least double this year.
The MSA's other programs include Snacks on Wheels, a community fridge on the Stoney Creek campus, an emergency food bank that assists students with immediate food support and affordable dining on campus.
At Niagara College, there's a Rise and Shine Breakfast Program, which offers grab-and-go breakfast three times a week; Feed the Community, involving culinary students who volunteer to make meals for donation; and the Nourishing Minds Fund — through the Niagara College Student Administrative Council — so that students can apply for an emergency gift card.
The Grocery Gift Card program has distributed over $200,000 in cards to students since 2017, the college said in a statement.
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