PEI

2nd food bank opening at UPEI

The UPEI Student Union is hoping a second food bank on the campus will ensure students will not go hungry unnecessarily.

Survey found food cost an issue for students

'The last thing on a student's mind sometimes can be what am I going to eat for supper tonight,' says Sarah MacEachern. (Cec Haire/CBC)

The UPEI Student Union is hoping a second food bank on the campus will ensure students will not go hungry unnecessarily.

A recent student union survey found a significant number of students were having difficulty affording to buy food.

The new food bank will go in the Murphy Student Centre. There is already a food bank located in the chaplaincy centre, but Sarah MacEachern, VP of student life with the student union, said the new location will be easier to locate.

"Being a student is just generally expensive. And honestly the last thing on a student's mind sometimes can be what am I going to eat for supper tonight," said MacEachern.

Sarah MacEachern, vice-president of Student Life with the UPEI Student Union, hopes the service helps better-support students when it comes to their mental health. (Jessica Doria-Brown/CBC)

"So say they don't have anything, they don't have time to go to the grocery store, they don't have the funds to go to the grocery store, now there's two food banks on campus that they can swing by on their way home or in the morning."

MacEachern said the student union has allocated $4,000 to cover food and minor renovations to the space.

It is set to open next month and will remain open until the end of the winter term in May.

More P.E.I. news

With files from Isabella Zavarise