Dear members,
In September 2023, AASUA Council committed continued support to the Campus Food Bank by making an annual grant of $24,000. The decision was sparked by a presentation from the food bank’s Executive Director, Erin O’Neil, who highlighted that many University of Alberta students are in critical need.
AASUA recently received a report from the Campus Food Bank outlining the impact of the donation in reducing food insecurity on campus. This year the food bank saw an additional 25% increase in demand. This spike comes after demand more than doubled from 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Some notable info from the report:
- AASUA helped the food bank distribute 25,000 snacks this year.
- Rent increases, low-income employment, and rising tuition are the top-cited reasons students are coming to the food bank.
- Due to the increasing cost of food, AASUA’s 2024-25 grant will go to the food bank’s broader spending budget.
“Thank you for recognizing the importance of food in a student’s educational experience, and for your generous and ongoing support of Campus Food Bank,” The food bank team wrote in the update. “It really means the world to us.”
You can read the report in full here.
Thank you,
Rachel Narvey
AASUA Communications Officer