Pack the Pantry makes an impact on food insecurity on campus

October is Food Security Awareness Month at the University of Calgary, when the community has the chance to come together and address an issue facing many students — food insecurity. 

A key event this month is the 15th annual Pack the Pantry, previously known as Trick or Eat. Until Oct. 30, students, faculty, staff and other members of the UCalgary community have the opportunity to gather non-perishable food items to support emergency food access for students via the Students’ Union Campus Food Bank.

The legacy of giving at UCalgary

Launched in 2009, Pack the Pantry, originally the Halloween-themed Trick or Eat, saw students form teams and go door-to-door in the neighbourhoods surrounding main campus to collect non-perishable food items. Since then, tens of thousands of pounds of food have been gathered, helping to ensure students have emergency access to the basic necessities as they navigate their academic careers.

What is food insecurity?

For some, food insecurity can mean not having access to food on a given day. For others, it is the mental and physical strain that comes from the uncertainty of not knowing where or when one’s next meal will come. Compared with people who are food-secure, those affected by food insecurity often experience a substandard quality of both physical and mental health. 

“Food insecurity impacts one’s physical and mental health, and further, for students, their academic success,” says Heather Ramshaw, co-ordinator of the Campus Food Hub, a collaboration of several UCalgary services with goals that include improving food access and "food literacy" on campus.

According to Meal Exchange 2021, nearly 47 per cent of UCalgary students identified themselves as food-insecure. Nearly 40 per cent of UCalgary students surveyed by Meal Exchange reported that their ability to maintain healthy eating habits was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is among many reasons why on-campus food access supports for students have become even more important in the last few years. Though the root causes of food insecurity are income-related and severely complex, programs such as the SU Campus Food Bank provide essential emergency relief from the symptoms of food insecurity and contribute to the network of available opportunities for students to access healthy, nutritious foods.

How Pack the Pantry works

This year, UCalgary offices, departments, clubs and other student organizations are encouraged to participate in a campus-wide friendly competition to see who can gather the most food by weight. By expanding the scope of the event, the SU Campus Food Bank hopes to encourage more participation around campus.

Pack the Pantry provides opportunity to make an impact

The Food Bank provides access to healthy food for students, with no need to prove a “need” for the food with proof of low income or indicators of food insecurity. Its services have become increasingly important for students on campus facing issues of affordability. Within the context of a complex issue such as food security, the reliance on emergency food relief is increasing.

“Over the whole summer, we have been seeing consistently higher numbers than in previous years,” says Lila Webb, BA’24, volunteer services co-ordinator with the SU Campus Food Bank. “Some weeks this summer had at least double the usage from last year. We expect the fall/winter to continue to be busy.” 

Pack the Pantry has become the biggest event on campus supporting Food Bank, with hundreds of volunteers and participants helping donate thousands of pounds of food to sustain its supply through the year-end holiday season.

“Pack the Pantry is an opportunity to have a measurable impact on your campus community,” says Ramshaw. “A huge portion of students identify as food insecure, and the SU Food Bank provides a great resource for those seriously struggling and requiring emergency support. To be able to support a program that has such an immediate impact on our students is rare, and this is your opportunity to bring your team together and show up for your campus community.”  

How you can get involved

There is still time to get involved in Pack the Pantry. Teams can register for a spot by filling out a short form about their team, and teams can also learn the guidelines of the competition and get some tips about the best foods to collect and best practices to follow while participating.

“Engaging with this event will have a directly positive impact for members of the campus community who utilize our service,” says Webb. “Take this opportunity to learn about food insecurity, contribute donations to our services, and leave a positive mark on campus with your friends, colleagues or classmates.”  

Learn more about additional food access and food security resources on-campus available to students here.