As costs of living increase every year, from rent and utilities to tuition and of course, food,
post-secondary students, even here at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), are facing higher
rates of food insecurity and struggles on varying levels, and find themselves relying on
resources like the TRU Student Union (TRUSU), which continuously pushes for programs
designed to offer stability for university students.
Food security, as defined by The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), means that
“people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious
food.” Varying levels of food insecurity have been observed across BC in recent years.
According to the most recent survey conducted by Food Banks BC in 2021, out of the 6, 167
students surveyed across BC campuses, 56.8% reported food insecurity at some level. This
survey saw a drastic increase from the earlier 2016 numbers and as Kamloops citizens
watch grocery prices continue to rise while families rely more on food banks, they also see
TRU students feel that struggle increases. The Kamloops Food Bank in particular, as of the
most recent numbers in October of 2022, stated that over 200 students had required aid
from the food bank.
Thompson Rivers University Student Union (TRUSU) consists of a board of directors and
coordinators who advocate for student needs, including the TRUSU Services Committee
who organize and plan food security programs for students throughout each semester.
Tanya Lekhi is the Vice President of the Services Committee, working alongside Gundeep
Chhabra and Hope Richard, both Services Committee Representatives, and Simranjit
Aulakh, the Basic Needs Services Coordinator. While the TRUSU members were
unfortunately unavailable for additional comments, their success, programs, and plans have
been documented and shared on their website and social media.
According to the TRUSU official website, the union’s food security mission statement is as
follows: “In partnership with cross-campus and community stakeholders, our mission is to
help cultivate student food security at TRU through inclusive, equitable, and sustainable
outreach and programming”, with their goals focusing on increasing levels of student food
security on the TRU campus through several various programs designed to support various
levels of need.
In dire situations and food security crises, TRUSU provides students with an opportunity to
apply for their Emergency Food Security Program which provides eligible students with
grocery store gift cards to buy food. More commonly seen at TRU is less severe food
insecurity.
“It gets hard, you know? Trying to work enough to pay rent and everything when I’m taking
four courses,” remarked Annika Watts, a second-year BA student here at TRU. “[I] shop at
Walmart and stuff, and I look for deals, but it’s stressful sometimes.” Watts is one of many
students here at TRU who attends TRUSU’s food security programs, including their Chef’s
Package Giveaways and the most recently implemented Community Meal Program.
The Chef’s Package Giveaway began in the Fall of 2022, consisting of 200 packages
containing non-perishable ingredients for students to be able to cook healthy and nutritious
meals that are given out once a month. The goal of this program, as stated by the TRUSU
Services Committee is to help relieve some of the stress students face around budgeting for
food by providing the ingredients needed to make at least two full meals with easy recipes.
“I’ve gotten a Chef’s Package a few times since last year,” says Watts. “The recipes are
pretty simple to follow, and it makes a ton of food.” Watts continued to note that this little bit
of support, which she stretched to be 3 or 4 meals, provided a huge relief. “It’s nice to have
one thing off your plate. Like, you come home and boom, dinners already figured out.”
Alongside the Chef’s Package Program, TRUSU’s most recent program launched this Fall
(2023), following 3 years of development: The Community Meal Program.
The Community Meal Program, as noted on the TRUSU website, is designed “to provide a
healthy meal to students at TRU consistently,” with the program running every two
weeks as opposed to the monthly Chef’s Package. The Community Meal Program is hosted
in the Student Union Building and consists of warm, healthy meals for students while
quantities last.
“It’s nice having a meal ready to go,” says Alex Savage, a fourth-year BoS student. “I don’t
tend to pack a lunch all that often and buying food here’s not always in the budget.” Savage
and his group of friends have attended community meals every couple of weeks since the
program’s launch, enjoying the break from the added stress worrying about food puts on
them, especially as finals grow closer.
“It’s November, everyone’s stressed out and taking more time off work to study and stuff,”
says Watts. “Anything that takes even a little bit of that stress off me is welcome.”
The Community Meals Program is TRUSU’s newest food security initiative. Having only just
launched this September but have already seen large amounts of success in the goals of not
only create an environment that fosters community building but also alleviates some of the
stress students struggle with. The TRUSU expected the program to feed over 1500 students
in its first year, with hopes of that number increasing each year.
As seen on the TRUSU Instagram, the lines for the Community Meal keep growing longer,
as more students are gratefully accepting support. TRUSU has also noted that they are
continuing to develop more food security programs to aid students throughout 2023-2026
using feedback and surveys conducted on campus.
For more information on the TRUSU food security programs visit the TRUSU website, and if
you or fellow students are struggling with food insecurity reach out to TRUSU for options and
support.
Story by: Isabelle Christensen
