Where SMU meets SMUSA: The SMU Community Food Room

Written by Sophie Downie Allen

@sophiecdownie

Photo by The SMU Community Food Room

The Saint Mary’s University Students’ Association (SMUSA) is an organization that is exclusive to Saint Mary’s University (SMU). Despite this, most of the services offered by SMUSA do not operate through, or even alongside, the SMU administration. Since its inception in 1966, SMUSA has been a not-for-profit organization that works for the students of Saint Mary’s University, rather than for the university itself. Nevertheless, there is one standout service at SMU where the work of the SMU administration, specifically Student Affairs and Services, and SMUSA intersect- the SMU Community Food Room. This article will provide an overview of the SMU Community Food Room for students who may be interested in visiting campus and taking advantage of the service, whether they have classes online or in-person at SMU.

Located on the fifth floor of the O’Donnell Hennessey Student Centre in room 526, the Community Food Room is an on-campus, student volunteer-run food bank that is open to all members of the Saint Mary’s University Community. Students in need of food can visit the Community Food Room up to once per week and expect to receive “safe, nutritious, and acceptable food options.” The service was initiated by SMU Student Affairs and Services, and is primarily supported by SMUSA, along with Feed Nova Scotia and the SMU Alumni network. 

The aim of offering the food room is to reduce hunger within the University community, which can present itself as a significant issue for students due to lack of funds, meal plan restrictions, and lack of mobility due to COVID-19, amongst other things. In an article written by Tracy Smith-Carrier, an assistant professor at Western University, Smith-Carrier notes how the end of CESB benefits for Canadian students means that some students can not afford to pay for their classes. Based on this fact, there are undoubtedly a large number of students across Canada who struggle to afford basic necessities, such as food. Now, more than ever, students need help staying healthy and fed. In order to effectively tackle the issue of student hunger through the food room, SMU Student Affairs and Services and SMUSA offer both long-term assistance and short-term assistance to those who may be struggling to afford or obtain proper nutrition. Long-term assistance tends to look like food support for students over a number of months, while short-term assistance seeks to provide students with just as much food as they need until funding arrives. 

Receiving food from the Community Food Room is a straightforward process; students who show up to the food room will be greeted by a volunteer, who will then sign the student into the client registry. Once the student is signed in, they are welcome to grab any food they like. There are limits, however, to how many items one can take per shelf. These limits are posted in the food room for students to view whilst they shop. Students can expect to choose from a number of non-perishable items, such as cereal and pasta, as well as some produce selections, such as fresh fruit and vegetables. In recent months, this process has changed slightly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although it is still easy and accessible for students.. To obtain food from the Community Food Room, students must book a 10-minute appointment on an online form, which can be found on the SMU Community Food Room webpage. At the scheduled appointment time, the student can then head to the  Food Room and pick out their food items. The only difference in the food selection process prior to the pandemic is that items will not be pre-bagged; students will need to bring their own bags to carry their food. Generally, of course, all those who visit the Community Food Room must abide by campus COVID-19 regulations, such as wearing a mask and completing an electronic check-in form which can be found on the SMU website.

Photo by Tom Brunberg on Unsplash

If you are interested in contributing to or becoming involved with the SMU Community Food Room, there are lots of ways in which one can do so. As mentioned previously, the food room is run by student volunteers. These student volunteers are responsible for checking visitors in and helping visitors with their food selections, whilst also providing visitors with advice with regard to meal planning. Not only is a volunteering position at the food room a great way to give back to the SMU community, but it is also valuable job experience and looks great on a resume. If you are a student at SMU who would be interested in being a volunteer for the Community Food Room, you can contact food.room@smu.ca for more details. The food room also accepts donations as a way to maintain the service for the benefit of SMU students. Food donations can be delivered to the SMUSA Info Desk from Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 am-5 pm, whilst monetary donations can be set up by contacting food.room@smu.ca. Monetary donations are appreciated as they help to keep the food room up and running on a weekly basis.

Before you make your trip to the food room, be sure to visit the SMU Community Food Room Facebook page. Because the food room is a student volunteer-run service, its hours of operation vary from week to week. The Facebook page always updates the SMU Community Food Room’s hours for the upcoming week, so you can make your appointment to pick up some healthy, free food accordingly.