FOOD BANK FOR STUDENTS
More than a hunger for knowledge
A growing number of students returning to the University of Windsor this fall are hungry for more than just knowledge.
Some are just plain hungry. The campus food bank, located in the basement of Canterbury College, has restocked its shelves in anticipation of a busy semester ahead. With classes set to begin, the food bank opens for two hours a day Monday through Thursday. When it opened for a single twohour window once a week over the summer months, demand spiked. “It was very busy,” said Sandi Rose, who runs the food bank on behalf of Iona College.
Rose said an average of 80 students visited the food bank each time it was open during the summer.
She said that’s double the number of student visits from a year ago. “So we’re expecting between 60 and 80 a shift during the school year,” she said.
“We can’t really ask them about their financial situation but obviously there’s a need,” Rose said. The food bank’s staff of student and community volunteers are seeing a large number of international students in need of help, according to Rose.
“No doubt there’s a lot of international students who use it in the summer months, that’s primarily who’s on campus,” said Dave McEwen, the acting executive director of Campus Services.
The University of Windsor Students Alliance operates a campus food pantry at the CAW Student Centre.
Ahmed Abdallah has just taken on a role with the food pantry as the UWSA’s vice-president of student services but he’s already seen the need among the university’s international student community. “Since May, there does seem to be really immense growth in the need among international students,” Abdallah said.
“We’re going to take that into consideration and do a cultural food drive toward the end of September.”
Campus Services does not work directly with the food bank or the food pantry but McEwen said they organize fundraisers to help both services.
He said they raised $2,500 last spring on short notice and there are plans to hold another drive this month.
Rose said many of the university’s departments help out with food drives and the Unemployed Help Centre provides them with fresh vegetables.
The campus food bank has added a fridge this fall, allowing them to stock perishable donations. She said the food bank would welcome further donations of toiletries, pasta, pasta sauce, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans and vegetarian ramen noodles. Donations can be dropped off at the food bank inside Canterbury College at 2500 University Ave. W. The food bank is open Monday and Wednesday noon to 2 p.m., Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon. The food pantry in Room 260 at the CAW Centre is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Student identification is required at both.