Studying on an empty stomach: Students' food banks report increase in demand

CBC N.L. has launched its annual campaign in support of the Community Food Sharing Association and local food banks ahead of Feed N.L. Day on Dec. 15. Visit cbc.ca/bekind for more information and help make the holidays brighter for those in need.

Inside Memorial University's food bank in St. John's, next to the shelves of food there is a line of hampers, organized like a factory assembly line, already prepared as a queue of students who need food quickly forms.

Many of them are international students, says John Harris, vice-president of the campus food bank board.

"We see a lot of international students," said Harris. "Especially with young families — many people having to take two or three jobs in order to to to get through the day and they come here for an emergency source of food."

The need isn't exclusive to international students, though.

Food banks across the province are reporting an increasing demand for their services, whether it be for food hampers or hot meals. A recent report by Food Banks Canada says more people are relying on food banks than ever before.

In October, Harris said, about 800 people needed to use the food bank. In October 2022, it was just under 300 people.

"They're paying for their grocery and their rent and everything just isn't adding up. So they come here for emergency source of food. We really do need more donations to to keep sustaining this on campus."

At another part of the city, at the College of the North Atlantic's Prince Philip Drive campus, past the cafeteria and down the stairs is a small room, one that appears more like a closet that could fit roughly three people at a time. It's an open pantry, and students can come and grab what they need. Every CNA campus has one, says Jeff Martin, the college's director of student experience.

"Our food pantries are sponsored by our donations," Martin said

That allows them to keep a sustainable budget, he said, but they're running low. "We try to fill them once a week," he said, then pointed to the boxes, all empty. "You know, this was filled the other day and unfortunately it's been emptied."

CNA is seeing a growing need at its pantries. Often, all the food is gone after less than a day. Martin says the college — to maintain discretion — doesn't track who comes in and how much they take, but they do track how much money they spend on filling up the pantry each week. It's almost $2,000 for this pantry and at least $750 in smaller campuses.

The pantry is only one of the other ways they help students. Martin says they have a fund dedicated to struggling — or hungry — students who are facing emergencies.

'Study on an empty stomach'

An increasing cost of living is forcing students to take more work to pay the bills, Harris says, and by extension affecting the focus they need to dedicate to their studies.

"It's very hard to study on an empty stomach," Harris said. "It's totally a challenge to try and complete your studies, to work, to try and make enough money to feed yourself."

The food bank serves as a way to alleviate some of the stress. However, as the need continues to increase, it's more challenging to feed all those who come. Harris says they're concerned about running out of food.

"Last year that that really happened," he said. "We had the worst-case scenario: we had no food."

The campus food bank is independent from the university, and media attention on last year's food bank closure prompted several donations and they were able to reopen, he said — but this year the demand has nearly tripled, and he's worried they'll have to close again.

"Unfortunately, that will happen if we don't get more support."

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