McMaster Community Garden’s new expansion is underway, adding green space and improving accessibility for students on campus
The Community Garden at McMaster is expanding behind Burke Science Building and is set to open in Spring 2025. The expansion will double the garden's growing capacity and feature a fully accessible garden, including wheelchair-accessible paths, raised garden beds provided by Raised Beds Canada and a variety of accessible gardening tools and seating areas.
The Community Garden, a student-led initiative launched
Throughout the growing season, the garden cultivates a variety of produce, such as carrots, kale, strawberries and golden raspberries. The garden also features a grapevine that spans the entire perimeter and a cherry tree.
Thush Gnanamuttu and Olivia Rowan, the 2024-2025 coordinators for the Community Garden who oversee all decisions and manage the volunteer team, spoke about the design of the upcoming expansion.
“We worked with accessibility groups including Maccess, Facility services and other on-campus accessibility consultants on the work of the design. A lot of the work this summer was making sure it was a collaborative design and a lot of thought was put into the features,” said Rowan.
We worked with accessibility groups including Maccess, Facility services and other on-campus accessibility consultants on the work of the design. A lot of the work this summer was making sure it was a collaborative design and a lot of thought was put into the features.
Olivia Rowan, Co-ordinator
Community Garden
Gnanamuttu and Rowan mentioned that the new garden will feature raised garden beds at varying heights, designed to be more wheelchair-friendly and accessible to all. They also noted the addition of an accessible picnic bench that was donated by the McMaster Class of 1954. “We wanted to bring a bench in here because it would be cool to run educational workshops and just have this as a space that volunteers can enjoy as well,” said Rowan.
Gnanamuttu and Rowan acknowledged the hard work of their volunteers, who assisted in building the garden beds, picnic table and garden shed.
“It's really important to have community-centred green spaces where people can learn about gardening, get a break from the work they’re doing but also do something really meaningful to support their community and we see that with all the volunteers that come in. They really feel like they have a sense of purpose,” said Rowan.
It's really important to have community centered green spaces where people can learn about gardening, get a break from the work they’re doing but also do something really meaningful to support their community and we see that with all the volunteers that come in they really feel like they have a sense of purpose.
Olivia Rowan, Co-ordinator
Community Garden
The coordinators also shared their plans to add a Little Free Library in front of the garden expansion. Their goal is to place books about sustainability and gardening education in a public bookcase, allowing people to exchange books as they pass by.
The coordinators recognized several sponsors who helped design and execute the expansion, including OPIRG McMaster, the McMaster Okanagan Office of Health and Wellbeing, McMaster Facility Services, Raised Garden Beds Canada and Little Free Library.
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.
C/O Robert Bye, Unsplash
Check out these advocacy and social justice groups on and off campus to start finding your community
Community is a crucial piece of any university experience. It will be even more important this year as we return to campus, particularly for the many students for whom it is not only their first time in Hamilton but also their first time away from home entirely.
Finding and building community can be difficult enough after a move, nevermind during a pandemic. It can be difficult to know where to start. One place might be the issues in the world you’re passionate about. Groups or organizations dedicated to these issues are wonderful places where both community and social justice advocacy can thrive. Furthermore, having a strong sense of community, while also tackling these issues you care about can help you cultivate support systems not only as you navigate university but also in the face of larger issues.
Included below is a list of groups both on and off campus, sorted by the social justice issues they’re concerned with, who are doing some excellent work in the Hamilton community. It should be noted this is not an exhaustive list of all the wonderful groups and organizations in Hamilton; there are many more groups that can be found both on campus and off.
If you identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, are passionate about 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and peer support:
If you’re passionate about anti-racist and anti-oppressive work, check out:
If you’re passionate about climate and environmental justice, check out:
If you’re passionate about food security and nutrition, check out:
If you’re passionate about healthcare and public health, check out:
If you’re passionate about housing and supporting unhoused individuals, check out
Clubs will be required to have a minimum $5 fee and 25 general members to be ratified for the 2021-2022 academic year
The McMaster Students Union recently made changes to the MSU Clubs policy which has sparked outspoken anger and frustration. Approved on March 26, 2020, the MSU Clubs policy was modified to include several notable revisions. Among those revisions were a mandatory minimum $5.00 membership fee for every general member, a minimum of 25 general members and the creation of the Clubs Advisory Council.
Current MSU Clubs Administrator Jenna Courage sent an email on Sept. 25 to club presidents in light of a Mac Confessions Facebook post released on Sept. 23 and other uproar from students. In the email Courage wrote, “[Y]ou [club presidents] are all aware that Clubs Department policies underwent major updates and revisions last year, prior to the COVID-19 shutdown and the start of online classes.”
Contrary to what Courage wrote, these policy amendments were passed by the MSU Executive Board after the COVID-19 shutdown and start of online classes. McMaster cancelled all classes and moved to an online learning format on March 13. These policy amendments, including the mandatory minimum $5 fee and the 25 general members, were passed at the Executive Board meeting on March 26.
In a memo to the Student Representative Assembly dated March 8, then-MSU President Josh Marando outlined a staffing change to the Clubs Operating Policy that was to be voted on at the next SRA meeting. Marando wrote, “[The updated operating policy] does not highlight the changes to any aspect of the policy other than the staff as those changes will be coming to the next SRA meeting.” The motion to create three new clubs staff passed unanimously on March 8.
The clubs amendments were not on the agenda for the March 22, April 18 and 19 or April 26 meetings. The March 22 meeting was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. The new amendments were also not in the meeting minutes for April 18 and 19 as well as the April 26 date. The April 26 meeting was the last for the 2019-2020 SRA.
In addition, the current 2020-2021 SRA did not ratify the policy amendments. “These policy changes were months in the making, ultimately vetted and approved by the Student Representative Assembly,” Courage wrote in an email sent to club presidents on Sept. 25. However, the assembly as a whole did not approve the amendments. The 2019-2020 Executive Board passed these amendments on behalf of the SRA.
The motion to approve the amendments passed with eight in favour and one abstention. The Executive Board was composed of the 2019-2020 Board of Directors and five SRA members.
Then-MSU President Josh Marando released a statement on the MSU website on April 16, which highlighted some of the clubs amendments. “Additionally, clubs will now charge a single, standardized membership fee," wrote Marando. The policy of 25 minimum members is not included in this statement.
On April 17, then-MSU Clubs Administrator Aditi Sharma sent an email to 2019-2020 Clubs Presidents. This email included a document entitled Clubs Policy Changes FAQ. The email also linked Marando’s press release on the MSU website.
The FAQ document does not include the minimum $5 fee but does include the minimum 25 members. The MSU press release does mention a new mandatory fee but does not specify the minimum value of that fee. Both the FAQ document and Sharma’s email stipulate that there would be no changes to the ratification process for the 2020-2021 school year.
In August, Courage sent the same FAQ document to club presidents. The document stated, “there are no changes for the 2020-2021 academic year. However, in December of 2020, as part of the 2021-2022 application cycle, all clubs (new and renewal) will require a minimum of 25 members to receive recognition. These 25 members exclude the president and executive members. All members must have valid McMaster email addresses and student numbers.”
Courage’s email did not link to Marando’s press release.
According to Christina Brinza and Febby Pandya, co-presidents of the International Women in Science Day Conference, current club presidents weren’t made aware of the $5 fee until clubs training began at the end of September.
Brinza and Pandya wanted the conference to be free this year and to increase accessibility, and they believe that the $5 fee to be part of the club contradicts those goals.
“Forcing our members to pay $5 just to continue to receive information about this event that's still going to be free. It doesn't seem fair to them or to us . . . It really contradicts our intention or our objective of accessibility,” said Brinza.
"It doesn't seem fair to them or to us . . . It really contradicts our intention or our objective of accessibility,” said Brinza.
Pandya explained the concerns of the $5 specifically on their club, which would culminate in the conference in the winter term. She said, “Since we are hosting such a large event later in the semester we kind of have to allocate our sources to be able to support that kind of large event and we can't really have too many miniature events to, you know, pique interest in to keep students wanting to come back.”
Both Pandya and Brinza are worried about the classist undertones of the $5 fee, including for students who may want to try new clubs or who want to join multiple. In the March 26 Executive Board meeting, SRA member Eric Sinnige asked about the membership fee and cited concerns of a financial barrier to students. Then-VP Finance Alexandrea Johnston responded that if a student couldn’t afford the fee, they could work with the Clubs Accounting Clerk.
Both Pandya and Brinza are worried about the classist undertones of the $5 fee, including for students who may want to try new clubs or who want to join multiple.
However, that information was not included in this year’s MSU Clubs training module.
Julia Wickens, current VP administration and former president of jack.org McMaster, also expressed frustration and surprise at the policy changes.
“One of our biggest things as a mental health club is that we want people to feel that they can commit as much as they want to. So we have some people that attend a couple of our events and we have some people that are really, really involved. So I feel like putting a dollar value on that kind of hurts that idea a little bit and then from a student perspective, I think that $5 means a different thing to different people,” said Wickens.
A reason for the $5 minimum fee was that clubs would have more money in their budgets. In response, Wickens believed that there is a better way to reduce the amount of funding that clubs are requesting.
“Make it easier for clubs to have cheaper options for things like food . . . but also for room-booking and stuff like that. In the past, we felt pretty limited about what our options are,” said Wickens.
“Make it easier for clubs to have cheaper options for things like food . . . but also for room-booking and stuff like that. In the past, we felt pretty limited about what our options are,” said Wickens.
On Sept. 27, the SRA formalized the policy exemption to all clubs for the 2020-2021 school year. According to SRA Arts and Science representative Adeola Egbeyemi, clubs will not have to charge the $5 fee or have a minimum of 25 general members for this school year. However, the policy will be in place for the 2021-2022 school year unless further action is taken by the SRA.
The MSU website has every MSU policy and by-law, including the MSU Clubs operating policies. However, as of Sept. 29, the Clubs Operating Policy is not up-to-date. Section 8.1.3 still states that “[a]n MSU Club shall . . . determine its own program membership and membership fee, consistent with the policies of the MSU.” The updated Clubs policies can only be found through the Executive Board documents.
Section 8.1.3 still states that "[a]n MSU Club shall . . . determine its own program membership and membership fee, consistent with the policies of the MSU."
Photo C/O Canadian Pacific Railway
For the past 20 years, the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train has traveled across Canada and the United States, spreading holiday cheer and making donations to food banks at each of its stops. This year, it will be making its annual Hamilton stop on the evening of Nov. 28, in Gage Park.
The Holiday Train is always decked in festive lights and decorations. At each of its stops one of the train cars opens up to reveal a stage for a live concert performance. Both the concert and the event itself are free. The featured musicians will include Alan Doyle — formerly of Great Big Sea — and Beautiful Band. While guests are encouraged to donate non-perishable items to Hamilton Food Share, it’s not mandatory.
“Nothing there costs anything, so even families who might not have a lot of extra can come out and enjoy [the event] as a kickoff to the holiday season to get into the festive spirit,” said Celeste Taylor, the Resource Development Manager for Hamilton Food Share.
Every month, over 13,000 people in the city, including almost 5,000 children, need a food bank every month. As rent in the city continues to increase, food is becoming more difficult to access for many. According to the Hamilton Hunger Report 2019, households who access a food bank spend, on average, more than 50 per cent of their income on housing, increasing the risk of displacement or homelessness. Food is an important part of most holiday traditions, and it can be difficult to celebrate when there’s nothing to put on the table.
Food is an important part of most holiday traditions, and it can be difficult to celebrate when there’s nothing to put on the table.
“Everybody wants to celebrate, whether they’re celebrating Christmas or another holiday, they want to be able to be with their family or to be with the people they care about and food is often central to that. It’s a method of social inclusion when people are able to have the food they need to make a meal. The other part is, here in Hamilton we have such a high percentage of people who are struggling so much with paying the rent that sometimes there just isn’t anything left to buy food with . . . It’s not just holiday food, it’s also being able to put a meal on the table,” said Taylor.
Taylor says that there are many other ways that the community can get involved. “The other thing that people can do is to be looking towards social policy change that would be helping people to cover the expenses of daily life and life’s basics . . . The important message is not that it’s Food Banks or policy change, it’s both.”
Since 1999, the Holiday Train has been contributing donations to local food bank organizations. While the concert in Gage Park is only one night, it’s important to keep that same level of donation energy throughout the year as giving shouldn’t end after the holidays.
The CP Holiday Train will be rolling through Gage Park (1000 Main St. E) on Nov. 28 at 7:45 p.m.
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Food insecurity can be defined by several different characteristics and does not necessarily have one, universal definition.
For some, it can mean a lack of physical, economic or culturally acceptable access to food and in extreme cases, it can mean that one’s nutritional food intake is too low.
The issue of food insecurity is very much systemic, and is steadily on the rise in Hamilton. Emergency food bank usage within the city from both adults and children has risen by 9.5 per cent and 10 per cent respectively from 2016 to 2017.
In Canada, the rising cost of living is rising faster than inflation rates, making food more expensive, affordable housing more difficult to find and several aspects of a healthy life harder to achieve for some. While there are several groups who are working to ensure that everyone in Hamilton is food secure, there is still more work to be done.
Several initiatives within the city of Hamilton are working diligently to provide adequate food, nutritional information and resources about food insecurity to those who may be affected by the issue.
Hamilton Food Share’s Food Recovery Program takes healthy products deemed surplus by food industry standards and redirects them onto the tables of the people who need it the most. In 2016-2017 alone, Hamilton Food Share distributed over 2.7 million pounds of all food given.
Building these partnerships within the food industry establishes a gateway for continuous food donations, while each dollar raised supports families who go hungry within the community.
“While food is often the immediate crisis which causes people to access a food bank, the food bank acts also as a community portal that connects food bank users to other relevant community supports which might help unlock additional help as well,” said Joanne Santucci, Executive Director of Hamilton Food Share.
For over 30 years, Neighbour to Neighbour has provided emergency food programs for those in need by offering a unique experience for those who access a food bank. Through a food bank in the form of a grocery store, Neighbour to Neighbour ensures that customers have the agency of choosing their own groceries for their families. Each visitor is allocated points to spend on key nutritional items such as meat, dairy and produce, as well as non-perishable food items.
The Hamilton Community Foundation provides assistance in the fight against hunger in a different way. By providing grants to registered charities, the Hamilton Community Foundation assists charities financially in their work against poverty in the city. In relation to food insecurity, the foundation has provided grants to organizations including Hamilton Food Share and Neighbour to Neighbour, in addition to multiple community garden projects such as the McQuesten Urban Farm, and Essential Aid among others.
While food is often the immediate crisis which causes people to access a food bank, the food bank acts also as a community portal that connects food bank users to other relevant community supports which might help unlock additional help as well.
Joanne Santucci
Executive Director
Hamilton Food Share
As household food insecurity is on the rise in Canada, it is linked closely to poorer health status. Those affected typically have more health emergencies and a lower life expectancy than those from affluent neighbourhoods.
“37 per cent of our food bank users are people on disability who are now both sick and broke,” said Santucci. “So whether it’s the private sector providing more disability coverage or governments improving benefit rates, we need [a] change that helps encourage everyone to be able to contribute to their full potential.”
Every year, Hamilton Food Share collects data on local food bank usage in association with their member agencies to find out if more people are going hungry and for how long. The report, titled Hunger Count aims to share a snapshot of poverty in Hamilton through demonstrating the statistics they find and comparing them with those from previous years.
According to the Hunger Count report, people with the lowest incomes have an average life expectancy of 21 years shorter than those of highest incomes. Without access to appropriate and sufficient food, people living in poverty pay more for medical costs.
There are difficult decisions that food bank users face everyday, within over 5,246 households, 75 per cent live in market rental housing. Without regulation, landlords are free to charge excessively for rental units in order to meet the economic need. According to the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Vital Signs report, Hamilton’s rise in rent costs is one of the sharpest in Ontario. Last year alone, the cost of renting went up by 5.1 per cent.
In Hamilton, 80 per cent of households who live in market rental properties are at high or extreme risk of homelessness. The degree of risk lies in the percentage of income to rent ratio. For example, paying 30 per cent to 50 per cent of household income in rent puts households at risk of homelessness.
“The issue of food insecurity is directly related to higher level policy issues such as inadequate social assistance rates, the high cost of housing, employment, etc.,” said Sharon Charters, Grant Manager at the Hamilton Community Foundation. “As a community we need to advocate for a social welfare system that ensures a decent standard of living for everyone.”
As a community we need to advocate for a social welfare system that ensures a decent standard of living for everyone.
Sharon Charters
Grant Manager
Hamilton Community Foundation
Food insecurity is not just felt in neighbourhoods within the city. Several students on campus are suffering from a lack of appropriate, nutritious, or any food at all.
In 2016, Meal Exchange, a charity aimed at ending student food insecurity, surveyed over 4000 students on five university campuses across the country to better understand students’ experiences with the issue.
Their findings demonstrated that nearly 39 per cent of post-secondary students experience some form of food insecurity, with 30.7 per cent of students experiencing moderate food insecurity and 8.3 per cent experiencing severe food insecurity.
Students who are food insecure reported on various barriers to food security, including food costs, tuition fees, housing costs and inadequate income supports.
A student-run service, Mac Bread Bin works towards building more secure food systems within McMaster and the surrounding community. The service offers resources that include an on-campus food bank, a monthly Good Food Box filled with local produce and anonymous assistance in acquiring non-perishable goods.
“We do not want students having to choose to miss a meal based on their financial situation or when they prioritize education during busy times,” said Taylor Mertens, director of Mac Bread Bin. “We have great conversations and created a real community and talk about food insecurity with these fine folks.”
Some financial policies at McMaster create ripples that can lead students to be food insecure, including the late fee policy, which currently sits at $75 if not paid on time for people paying tuition, in addition to increasing tuition rates on campus.
According to Mertens, service usage for Bread Bin has increased by 29 per cent over the last eight months, demonstrating how unsustainable this financial model is for students.
We do not want students having to choose to miss a meal based on their financial situation or when they prioritize education during busy times.
Taylor Mertens
Director
McMaster Bread Bin
Despite the active and diligent efforts of individuals and organizations to ensure that nobody within the Hamilton community goes hungry, there is still more work to be done.
“The young people of Hamilton are our future,” said Santucci. “Educating students on who is at risk and how they can help will better equip our community as a whole as they become our next teachers, city councillors, entrepreneurs and donors to tackle the tough issues of the day; like children going hungry in Hamilton.”
Individuals looking to get involved with ending the fight against hunger are encouraged to volunteer their time at a local food bank, advocate for increased social assistance rates and a proper living wage, donate food or funds wherever possible and to participate in the fight against hunger by keeping an open dialogue about the issue with loved ones.
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By: Donna Nadeem
With the cost of tuition, textbooks and living, finding food on campus at a reasonable price can be tricky to find. Nolunchmoney is an online initiative that battles food insecurity and has recently started a pilot program called Second Course to expand their initiative to battle food insecurity in innovative ways by working with event managers to offer free food events to students at McMaster.
This initiative was originally founded by Frank Chen during his time as a McMaster undergraduate to battle food insecurities for students at McMaster with the help of services like Mac Bread Bin.
Nolunchmoney began as a Facebook page to help guide students who are on a tight meal budget. The page has received more attention recently, going from 1,000 followers to 3,000 followers in the past year. To keep up with demand, Nolunchmoney has begun expanding their services.
The team began planning their new program during the summer and launched to initiative two weeks ago. They got in collaboration with Paradise Catering who agreed to donate their baked goods at the end of the day that go uneaten and would otherwise be thrown out.
The only issues with this are the public health concerns and liability issues, which they have been trying to address.
“Working with Chris Roberts, the director of McMaster hospitality services, and Taylor Mertens, director Mac Bread Bin, we have been trying to find ways around those policies and trying to work to expand to more nutritious food,” said John Vu, a fourth-year student and co-president of Nolunchmoney.
Nolunchmoney began as a Facebook page to help guide students who are on a tight meal budget. The page has received more attention recently, going from 1,000 followers to 3,000 followers in the past year. To keep up with demand, Nolunchmoney has begun expanding their services.
For over two years, Nolunchmoney has been running programming through their blog and Facebook page. The program has since continued to be run by McMaster students. The team uses their social media to constantly keep students updated on free food events with their calendar and their webpage as well as regular posts.
“We got Paradise to agree to donate their baked goods at the end of the day because they typically just get thrown out, and we bring the baked goods to Bridges, and have an event,” said Vu.
“[The] food is typically gone within 30 minutes, so we have been trying to find ways to expand by increasing the volume and recovering more nutritious foods,” he added.
Nolunchmoney’s future goals aim to continue to expand their program by finding more services that will work with them, along with working to increase the volume of the nutritious foods. By posting on their social media pages, they hope to increase student engagement of the events that offer free food to help students and to get students more aware of this major topic.
Food insecurity is a buzzword issue on campus, popping up in multiple campaign platforms and campus events. But it takes more than discussing an issue to create tangible change, and that is what Food for Thought has done.
A collaboration between the Student Wellness Centre, Mac Bread Bin, the Indigenous Studies program and Mac Farmstand, Food for Thought is an initiative that aims toto equip students with basic cooking skills they can use on a slim student budget. The group operates largely as a series of cooking workshops, currently held at the Fortinos community kitchen in Ainslie Wood.
While they have only run a few events this year, this is not the first time Food for Thought has popped up on campus.
“A few years ago when I was finishing up my degree, I was volunteering with Farmstand and… I started a little salad bar and… served salads to students,” explained Jordan Weisz, the original founder of Food for Thought. “And I found there was overwhelming interest in what I was doing and how. So I started doing [free workshops] through the Ontario Public Interest Research Group.”
Following his graduation, Weisz opened a business in Hamilton and put cooking on the back burner until last summer, when the groups now involved with Food for Thought came together.
Taryn Aarssen, a wellness educator at the SWC, began looking into Food for Thought’s previous efforts. Following a donation from the Mac10 Young Alumni Bursary, she connected with Weisz and Adam Chiaravalle, Mac Farmstand’s education and advocacy coordinator. Chiaravalle met Weisz at a lecture over the summer and was inspired by his stories of the original Food for Thought program.
“The funding was to expand our nutrition-related programming at the Student Wellness Centre in general,” Aarssen explained. “We offer Free Fruit Fridays, and that’s removing one barrier but there’s a lot more impact from offering food and cooking skills.”
Shortly afterwards, they connected with Taylor Mertens, who heads Mac Bread Bin’s community kitchen initiative.
“We’re all trying to put this together in our own separate areas based on the specific needs of those areas… Mac Bread Bin, Mac Farmstand and the Student Wellness Centre might have different goals but this kind of program meets all those goals and feeds the needs of all students,” Aarssen said.
Despite each member’s different goals, each wants to see students gain essential cooking and nutrition skills from Food for Thought’s programming.
“It’s really about technique and it’s about breaking down certain barriers that are preventing students from cooking for themselves, shopping for themselves,” said Weisz, who now leads the cooking workshops.
“Giving students [cooking] skills is really a life skill,” Chiaravalle added.
To ensure the workshops are built around teaching students how to make nutritious meals, the program consults with the registered dietician on campus.
Weisz, Aarssen, Mertens and Chiaravalle are all passionate about food, but their inspirations take different forms.
For Weisz, the nutritional element of home-cooking was one of his reasons for starting Food for Thought during his undergraduate.
“In first year I gained about 15 pounds eating on campus,” he explained. “And then you learn to cook and it really opens doors to relationships, community, the local agriculture.”
Aarssen, on the other hand, was inspired when she learned how to make her own soup.
“I look at my childhood and the reliance on Campbell’s soup and how that can be created very deliciously and with a few simple ingredients,” she said.
“It’s really about technique and it’s about breaking down certain barriers that are preventing students from cooking for themselves, shopping for themselves.”
Jordan Weisz,
Founder
Food for Thought
Mertens explained that he loved learning how to experiment with spices while making chicken fajitas for the first time, while Chiaravalle’s experience with food began with his first vegetable garden in Grade 8.
Enthusiasm only takes an initiative so far though. Like many other campus groups, Food for Thought has run into the common problem of space, or lack thereof.
“You’d be surprised how challenging it is to find a kitchen [because] technically it has to be a professional or commercial kitchen that will allow you to come in,” Weisz said.
While most workshops take place at Fortinos, Mertens cited the chili demonstration pop-up in the SWELL as a great example of how the group works with what they are given.
“It was intimate… everyone [still] had a turn... we make do with what we can and that’s all we can do, really,” he said.
“I think that’s an over-arching theme of what we’re trying to do,” said Weisz. “The point of this is to teach students to cook, but we also take into consideration the time and budget constraints that students are on… [and also] teaching people to make do with what’s around them.”
Food for Thought announces their workshops through their Facebook page, and will continue to connect people through food.
Food insecurity is a frightening reality for a large number of Hamiltonians.
With the rising cost of food, people throughout the city are left feeling insecure about how, when and what they will be able to eat. The monthly cost of food for a four-person family in Hamilton is estimated at over $700 per month, and over 17,000 people within the city access food banks on a monthly basis.
Food insecurity can mean different things for different people. For some, it can mean a lack of physical, economic and culturally acceptable access to food, and in extreme cases, it can mean that one’s nutritional food intake is too low. It can also refer to a lack of locally grown, sustainable food in one’s city. In all cases, food insecurity is detrimental to the health of those affected.
Hamilton’s Community Food Security Stakeholder Committee reissued a Food Charter for the city in 2014. The charter envisions “a healthy, sustainable and just food system” and seeks to guide municipal policies and community action to raise awareness about farm income, fair food prices and low paying jobs within the food industry.
There are several initiatives implemented throughout the city that raise awareness regarding the issue and help those that are in need of a dependable and sustainable food source on a monthly basis. One of these initiatives is Neighbour to Neighbour.
Neighbour to Neighbour provides emergency food programs for those in need through a food bank in the form of a grocery store. Each person visiting is allocated points to spend on key nutritional items such as meat, dairy and produce, as well as non-perishable food items. This ensures that customers have the agency and comfort of choosing their own groceries for their family.
“When you don’t have enough food, it impacts your health and that impacts society as a whole,” said Charlotte Redekop-Young, Manager of Emergency Food Services at Neighbour to Neighbour. “One in four children [and] one in six adults live below the poverty line [in Hamilton] and that’s an issue for all. We’re all concerned about providing an adequate food supply to those in need.”
Not only is the struggle a prominent issue within the city, it also affects students at McMaster. According to Meal Exchange, a charity aimed to end food insecurity, approximately 39 per cent of Canadian university students are affected by food insecurity. On-campus initiatives like McMaster Bread Bin aim to combat these statistics.
"One in four children [and] one in six adults live below the poverty line [in Hamilton] and that's an issue for all."
Charlotte Redekop-Young
Manager of Emergency Food Services of Neighbour to Neighbour
A student-run service, Mac BB works towards building stronger food systems within the McMaster and surrounding community. The service offers resources that include an on-campus food bank, a monthly Good Food Box filled with fresh, local produce and anonymous assistance in acquiring non-perishable goods. A community kitchen is also in development. Mac BB also hosts several events and campaigns throughout the year that raise awareness surrounding food security.
“Being food insecure turns the everyday task of feeding oneself into a gigantic burden. It holds individuals back from doing what they would like to do as so much of their time has to be devoted to finding that next meal,” said Daniel Lu, McMaster Bread Bin’s social and political advocacy coordinator.
Several initiatives both on campus and throughout the city are actively searching for volunteers and donations on a monthly basis. Participating in local food drives, community gardening and fundraising for these initiatives go a long way in the process of eradicating hunger in Hamilton.
“Do we want to live in a society where other people are going hungry? Are we comfortable with such disparate circumstances in our community?” said Tahima Shamsheri, McMaster Bread Bin’s other social and political advocacy coordinator.
“A strong community is one that is integrated and organized, one that can mobilize around the sharing of resources to ensure basic standards are met for all of its citizens.”
By: Rebeca Abelson
At the beginning of each week, I find myself in a familiar corner. Making promises to pack daily lunches to avoid cafeteria lines and innutritious meals is an increasingly familiar undertaking. And time and time again, I find myself with $8 or $9 receipts pouring out of my coat pockets. The fact of the matter is that purchasing food on campus is often an unavoidable phenomenon. For students with busy schedules, it can be challenging to commute home with such short durations between classes.
If you’ve even so much as brushed over the presidential platforms, you have probably noticed one widely held viewpoint. Cheaper and healthier food options. While food availability on campus is widespread, the selections tend to be limited.
The omnipresence of expensive campus meals has captured the attention of several presidential hopefuls with many promising to bridge the gap between cost-effectiveness and healthy food options.
Patricia Kousoulas is one of these candidates. She hopes to implement a breakfast program by extending on familiar MSU food services. While the specific details are unknown, students would be able to enjoy better food options for their first meal of the day. According to Kousoulas, healthier meal options would yield both mental and physical benefits.
In a similar vein, Leanne Winkels discusses food security alongside campus clubs. She argues that the monopoly of Paradise Catering limits the availability of traditional foods to religious and cultural groups. Overcoming this inhibitory barrier would allow internal organizations to better serve the needs of McMaster students.
Like his fellow candidates, Chukky Ibe acknowledges the importance of healthy meal options. Ibe’s platform is twofold and tends to the environmental concerns associated with campus food services. He emphasizes the continued use of reusable dishes throughout campus eating facilities and extending beyond the green box containers used at Centro. Furthermore, he proposes the Good Food delivery program, which will work alongside McMaster Farmstand and Mac Bread Bin to hand-deliver boxes of locally-sourced food to student neighbourhoods. Ideally, the food delivery program would alleviate the time and stress associated with grocery store visits.
Shaarujaa Nadarajah furthers the discussion of food security on campus. According to her platform, the cost of healthy meal options is a barrier enacted by high university costs. Students are forced to compromise their nutritional requirements as a result of other, more imminent school needs. To challenge this discrepancy, Nadarajah proposes the implementation of new McMaster food services that work alongside Mac Farmstand and other existing business units.
In addition, she contends with Winkel’s conception of Paradise Catering as an inaccessible and unaffordable food service. Matt Vukovic agrees with his competitors surrounding the hegemonic force that is Paradise Catering. He furthers his argument by promising to implement food substitutes such as Soylent, a nutrient rich alternative. Despite the unlikely adoption, food alternatives would dismantle the current food monopoly and create less traffic in populated dining halls throughout campus.
While each candidate proposes unique solutions, most discuss their initiatives alongside food security. The prevalence of this buzzword within presidential platforms raises several questions. What is the hysteria surrounding food practices? How feasible are the solutions proposed by the 2017 MSU presidential candidates?
As raised by Nadarajah, many students are plagued by the decision of choosing between healthy meals and other expensive school-related fees.
It appears that the solution to food insecurity at McMaster University will not come easily. As most students are well aware of, consuming healthy, nutritious dishes can be expensive than eating at quick, fast food restaurants.
Evidently, the problem of food security on campus is threefold.
Firstly, McMaster University would be tasked with replacing greasy spoon options with fresh, locally sourced meals. Ideally, these services would be offered at a reduced cost. Furthermore, practices of food security call for environmental and sustainable considerations.
From a brief overview, it becomes apparent that these objectives act in contention with one another. The feasibility of striking a balance between healthy food options and cost-effectiveness is continuously challenged. Upon implementation, practices of food security on campus would demand mass subsidies to offset the costs students are paying for their meals.
Aside from Ibe’s expansion of the Good Food delivery program and the commonly held proposition of dismantling the Paradise Catering contract, the solutions put forth by presidential candidates are quite vague and do not tend to the specificities of food security. Rather, they propose idealistic ends without providing the sufficient means to do so.
While their efforts are respectable, campus food security must be tackled by multiple levels of government. Perhaps MSU presidential candidates should work alongside the McMaster Board of Governors to renegotiate food contracts with a multitude of companies offering more feasible and sustainable food options. Despite the aforementioned challenges, campuses should devise new methods of providing healthy meal options without compromising the financial well-being of their students.
