The FCC provides access to a community kitchen, food bank and now a fridge offering non-perishable items after relocating to the Hub
Following the closure of the McMaster community fridge, the Food Collective Centre has resumed in-person operations after relocating from the basement of Bridges Cafe to the Hub.
As of Oct. 1, students can visit the FCC food bank, located on the third floor of The Hub, to access both non-perishable and perishable food items as well as hygiene products, free of charge. The food bank is open Monday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The FCC is a student-run food bank and resource of the MSU. It aims to combat and alleviate rising food insecurity among students. The FCC also aims to raise awareness about the stigma surrounding food insecurity.
Ella Ying, the FCC director, spoke about the transition of the FCC from Bridges Cafe to The Hub. “It is very important for us to just share that these resources do exist within the McMaster community … when we were back in Bridges, not a lot of people knew … it was not quite as accessible as the Hub,” said Ying.
It is very important for us to just share that these resources do exist within the McMaster community … when we were back in Bridges, not a lot of people knew … it was not quite as accessible as the Hub.
Ella Ying, Director
Food Collective Centre
With the move to the Hub, the FCC is also repurposing the community fridge and freezer to store perishable items. Ying noted that while the fridge will function similarly as it did under the former student-run community fridge initiative before it closed, it will now be supervised by the FCC during operating hours.
Ying mentioned that the FCC has also introduced an anonymous tracking system to monitor which items are most popular, with volunteers keeping records of who uses their services while maintaining individual confidentiality. “We are able to ask whether undergraduate or graduate students are using our services more … and even though we have only been open for a week and a half, in the first week, which was only four days of operations, we actually saved students $520 in groceries and we had around 40 people using it on the first week,” said Ying.
Ying noted that this is a significant increase in usage since moving from the basement of the Bridges Cafe, where fewer than 10 students accessed the food bank weekly.
Ying also noted that food insecurity can take many different forms and does not necessarily mean an immediate need for food. It can also include challenges to accessing affordable organic foods and local produce. “FCC [aims] to target [all aspects of] student life, especially hoping to alleviate food insecurity in every form,” said Ying.
“A lot of people are worried about, what if I am seen using a food bank or do I deserve to even use a food bank? But we really want to emphasize this year that everyone deserves to use it. If you need to use it, please come to us … this is exactly what we are here for and we have so many different resources that people are still discovering,” said Ying.
We really want to emphasize this year that everyone deserves to use it. If you need to use it, please come to us … this is exactly what we are here for and we have so many different resources that people are still discovering.
Ella Ying, director
Food Collective Centre
Ying mentioned that the FCC is collaborating with the community garden, where volunteers have been packaging fresh, local produce for students. “I am very excited for people to [have access to this produce] from them and especially since it is fresh, it can prolong the life of the produce as well … I think it is a win for both sides,” said Ying.
In addition to the food bank and fridge, the FCC provides several support services to the McMaster community. Among these are free monthly cooking workshops open to students, faculty and the broader Hamilton community along with a community kitchen cookbook. Hosted on campus, these workshops offer an accessible space for learning to cook, with all ingredients provided.
The FCC’s Good Food Box initiative is another service that delivers affordable, fresh produce to the McMaster community on a monthly basis at a discounted price.
For those seeking discreet assistance, the FCC offers the Lockers of Love initiative. This allows students and community members to order non-perishable food items online using an unique code, which they can then pick up from a locker on the first floor of The Hub within five days.
Throughout the year, the FCC also hosts additional monthly events to raise awareness about food insecurity.
Ying mentioned that among the initiatives planned for this year, the FCC hopes to host a food security conference and collaborate on activities with different cultural groups on campus. They also plan to organize a “Trick-or-Eat” event where they will go door-to-door asking for food donations from students and the nearby Hamilton community.
For more information on the various FCC initiatives and how to access them, visit their website and social media.
The closure comes in the midst of security and funding issues
The campus community fridge, a vital resource for students, faculty and community members needing free healthy food options, officially closed its doors on Aug. 30, 2024. The decision came after mounting financial challenges, repeated security breaches and ongoing difficulties in maintaining adequate staffing.
The fridge, operated by the Student Wellness Centre, had been a food resource located behind Mills Library for over two years. It provided free, nutritious food to anyone in need, including students, staff and members of the surrounding community.
For many students, the fridge was essential to help provide food amid the rising cost of living. In an interview with The Silhouette, PhD student Val Flores, expressed how the fridge had been a great help throughout their time at McMaster. "It came at a time in my life when I didn't really have a lot of money," said Flores.
It came at a time in my life when I didn't really have a lot of money.
Val Flores, PhD student
Flores, who was diagnosed with diabetes in 2023, shared the struggles of eating healthy with expensive grocery prices and limited food options on campus. "Having the community fridge so I could make my own meals and deal with my own condition . . . It helped me a lot," said Flores.
The McMaster Community Fridge announced on Instagram that the service would be closing as of Aug. 30, 2024. The statement cited "logistical challenges" as the reason.
The community fridge was established in 2022 by a group of third-year student volunteers who wanted to address food insecurity on campus during a sustainability course project. The Student Wellness Centre undertook the project and assumed responsibility for stocking, maintaining and monitoring fridge services.
SWC Program Coordinator Jack Chen provided a detailed account of the challenges plaguing the community fridge initiative in recent years. Funding had become a persistent challenge, with the initiative relying heavily on monetary and food donations. "The years following 2022 showed a pretty exponential decrease in funding from donation . . . we were not able to secure the kind of additional funding needed to support the fridge on a sustainable basis," said Chen.
The years following 2022 showed a pretty exponential decrease in funding from donations …we were not able to secure the kind of additional funding needed to support the fridge on a sustainable basis.
Jack Chen, Program Coordinator
Student Wellness Centre
Staffing and volunteer support have posed further challenges. "We have lots of student volunteers who work on the project and love being part of it . . . But without a dedicated [paid] staff member, it's been challenging to manage everything together," said Chen.
In addition to financial difficulties, security concerns have significantly impacted the fridge's viability. According to Chen, the fridge has faced incidents of theft.
"In the past 12 months, we've experienced quite a few security breaches," said Chen.
These incidents have also highlighted the difficulty of maintaining a free-access resource in a public space while balancing the need for security and safety. Ultimately, the combination of these issues led to the difficult decision to close the community fridge.
Although the community fridge itself will no longer be in operation, the mission to address food insecurity on campus will continue through the Food Collective Centre, a service funded by the McMaster Students Union. The fridge and freezer from the closed community fridge will be repurposed to support the FCC's operations, expanding their service operations to offer both non-perishable and perishable food items.
The FCC, newly located on the 3rd floor of the HUB, has traditionally focused on non-perishable items. This expansion will help maintain the balanced and nutritious offerings previously provided by the community fridge.
"I'm super excited by the expansion of the FCC services to include perishable items. This will continue to help us serve our members and help alleviate food insecurity on campus," said MSU Vice-President (Administration) Adam El-Kadi.
The SWC will provide an initial $1,000 in financial support to the FCC and will evaluate further donations based on the success of the first year of operations.
Organizers of the community fridge have expressed their commitment to supporting those in need, albeit in a different format.
"You can still access the same number of resources, if not more, in this new space [FCC]. It's just in a different spot and a different format," said Chen.
They hope that integrating the FCC into this new model will provide a more sustainable and secure method of distributing food, addressing the challenges that led to the fridge's closure.
As the campus community adjusts to this new food distribution blueprint, the HUB will officially launch the new service space on Oct. 1. Organizers encourage students and staff to stay informed by following @msu_fcc and @mcmastercommunityfridge on Instagram.
Food banks and other food security services, including student-focused ones are struggling to support their users, as food insecurity reaches highest levels amongst both households and students
Food insecurity, that is, lacking the financial means to purchase enough food for an adequate dietary intake, is a growing problem in Hamilton and across Canada.
According to a recent report from Food Banks Canada, more Canadians are accessing food banks in the last few decades than ever before. Hamilton Food Share’s 2022 Hunger Report shared that 46 percent of Hamiltonians who access food banks felt that they would be at risk of losing their homes without the help of food banks.
University students are not excluded among those facing food insecurity. A 2021 survey of university students from 13 institutions across Canada reported that 56.8 per cent of respondents faced food insecurity.
Many organizations both on and off the McMaster University campus, such as food banks and community fridges, have aimed to target growing food insecurity rates and provide resources. At the McMaster Community Fridge, a fridge, freezer and pantry complex located behind Mills Library, students can both leave and take food items according to their needs and abilities.
“The community fridge is focused on the ideas of mutual aid and community care, that we can share both the burdens we face and the resources that we have,” said Dalen Koncz, the liaison for the community fridge.
The community fridge is focused on the ideas of mutual aid and community care, that we can share both the burdens we face and the resources that we have.”
Dalen Koncz, liaison, Community Fridge
Food banks and services such as the community fridge are facing increased stress to ensure that users have access to resources.
“We supplement our food donations with weekly purchases of fresh produce from our monetary donations and even then it’s all gone within a few hours,” said Koncz.
We supplement our food donations with weekly purchases of fresh produce from our monetary donations and even then it’s all gone within a few hours.
Dalen Koncz, liaison, Community Fridge
McMaster's Food Collective Centre, which serves as McMaster's on-campus food bank, is also experiencing strain from rising food insecurity. Zoe Yalung, the assistant director of McMaster FCC, commented on their recent struggle.
"We did an inventory run recently, we filled up all the shelves and the next day there was one of every item left," said Yalung.
Jack Chen, one of the community fridge’s health promoters, stated that there is no shortage of food in Hamilton, Canada, or the world and that a large portion of purchased food is thrown out. According to the UN, 17 percent of food produced globally each year ends up being wasted.
Also recognizing how much food is wasted each year, Koncz encouraged students to leave untouched food items that they know will go bad before they are consumed in the community fridge for other students to take and use.
Chen emphasized that food insecurity is not a problem of being able to grow and produce enough food, but rather with individuals and households not having the financial resources to purchase enough food.
"We're tackling an income issue. We're not tackling a lack of food issue," said Chen.
A major driver behind food insecurity is inflation. The rate at which the dollar decreases in value does not correspond to the rate of increase in wages, resulting in many members of the workforce struggling to keep up with the market. According to the recent report from Food Banks Canada, 17 percent of people accessing food banks are employed.
The current housing crisis is a major contributor in particular. As housing prices continue to increase along with rent, many individuals struggle to allocate finances to putting food on the table.
Koncz also encouraged students to spread awareness to their peers about the high numbers of students facing food insecurity and the support networks available to them.
In the face of this rising problem, students facing food insecurity can access the FCC foodbank, located in the basement of Bridges Cafe in the Refectory Building. Anonymous orders can also be made with the FCC through their Lockers of Love program, by which students can fill out a form via their website and pick up requested food items from a locker on campus.
Food Collective Centre will collect non-perishable items to assist those facing food insecurity in the McMaster community
The McMaster Students Union Food Collective Centre is a student-run service located in the basement of the refectory building and they provide on-campus support to students, alumni, staff and Hamilton community partners throughout the academic year to help them meet their nutritional needs.
This Halloween, the FCC is hosting their annual Trick or Eat food drive. They will be accepting donations of non-perishable and health and hygiene items from Oct. 23 to Nov. 3 at various locations both on and off campus.
They will be accepting donations of non-perishable and health and hygiene items from Oct. 23 to Nov. 3 at various locations both on and off campus.
The Trick or Eat campaign aims to help students lacking adequate access to food by stocking up the food bank for the colder months. As the costs of living rise and vulnerable groups are increasingly impacted by food insecurity, the FCC hopes to retain a stock sufficient to help those in need.
This year the campaign will have on campus donation boxes located in the Michael DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery, the Peter George Centre for Living and Learning and the John Hodgins Engineering Building on campus.
Off campus donation boxes will also be set up at Williams Cafe, the Grain and Grit Beer Co. and the Fairweather Brewing Company.
Food donations that are needed this year include canned goods such as canned meat, soups, canned fruits vegetables; spreads and condiments; tea, juice and instant coffee; dry and canned pastas, cereals, rice and oatmeal and granola bars. Hygiene and health products must be sealed and can be donated alongside food donations in FCC donation boxes.
Food donations that are needed this year include canned goods such as canned meat, soups, canned fruits vegetables; spreads and condiments; tea, juice and instant coffee; dry and canned pastas, cereals, rice and oatmeal and granola bars. Hygiene and health products must be sealed and can be donated alongside food donations in FCC donation boxes.
The FCC opened their food bank for the current academic term on Oct. 23 and they are are offering walk in access to their pantry during operating hours. For those in need, non-perishable food and hygiene products are also available for pick-up Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the basement of the refectory building.
For more information on the Trick or Eat food drive and the FCC, visit their socials and their MSU service page.
C/O Ester Chow
The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself.
Ester Chow: My name is Ester Chow and I'm the Assistant Director of the Food Collective Center, the FCC. I go by she/her pronouns. I'm in my fourth year of [the health sciences program] in the Child Health specialization.
What is the FCC?
You can think of it as the food bank on campus. It's a major hub for anything to do with food. We have a community kitchen program where people can learn to cook food. We have food boxes where you can get a big box of fresh produce for $15. A big part of what I oversee is the Lockers of Love program where people can access food and health items confidentially. You basically just fill out a form. You don't have to put your name on anything. Then, within two to three days, we'll send you a locker code and you can go pick up your food and health items.
What inspired you to join the FCC?
In my second year, I participated in one of the community kitchen workshops. It was a five- or six-week thing where you get to go and cook with other people and learn a new skill. One thing I really appreciated about it was the community aspect. There's a lot of great initiatives and clubs off campus but it can feel a little bit like working in isolation. With this community kitchen, it wasn't about learning by myself — we were a team. In fourth year, I also realized that I was missing something that really made me feel like I was making a big difference. I joined a lot of clubs and was really interested in research, but also just doing a lot of things I was told I should be doing. In my fourth year, I wanted to do something for myself. I really liked the FCC and even though it was kind of a new experience, I just went for it.
In fourth year, I also realized that I was missing something that really made me feel like I was making a big difference. I joined a lot of clubs and was really interested in research, but also just doing a lot of things I was told I should be doing. In my fourth year, I wanted to do something for myself. I really liked the FCC and even though it was kind of a new experience, I just went for it.
Ester Chow, Assistant Director of the Food Collective Centre
Can you elaborate on the community aspect?
When Morghen, the Director and I were choosing the [executive] team and volunteers, we really wanted to give people the opportunity to join us whether or not they had experience at all. We wanted to give everyone an opportunity because food isn't really something that you necessarily have to have a lot of academic or personal background with; it's something that you have to have every day. We also really try to think about the community impact even in small things. For example, we have Trick or Eat, which is our Halloween food drive. We emphasize that it's not food that goes just towards [McMaster] students, but also to the nearby community. So we set up bins in Westdale and Emerson and all around campus. People who can access Lockers of Love, which is what most of the donations go to, are not just [McMaster] students. It can be for someone who's affiliated, it can be for a family member. So that's another part of how community plays a role. It's not just the students that are affected by food insecurity, but it's a deeper intersectionality that also affects a family, affects their ability to do well in school [and] their ability to exist as a person.
What continues to inspire you in the FCC?
I think that the opportunity to oversee Lockers of Love made all of these intangible numbers about food insecurity much more real. For example, something simple is in first year when you have a meal plan. You kind of expect everyone in residence to have the same amount when you're living together. That kind of thought can be really damaging when you go into second or third year and you're living on your own, you're working and cooking for yourself and you see other people are getting takeout all the time or you're struggling to get fresh foods. There are all these things that you compare yourself with. That was a big part of contextualizing everything through Lockers of Love when I realized how many people were using it. Another thing that Morghen and I continued from last year is the e-card version [of Lockers for Love]. Just because we're slowly transitioning to in-person [classes], it doesn't mean that those cards aren't valuable to people who might not be able to get to campus. I've just learned so much from people who are contacting me and saying that Lockers of Love has helped them and how we can make it better. That's the biggest part. For me, I'm just doing this as a job and I really enjoy it. But for some people, they really rely on this to survive. So being able to connect with those people, even though I don't know their names, makes me feel that this campus needs the food centre.
