FCC and MSU Maroons revive Halloween food security campaign, going door-to-door in McMaster neighbourhoods to collect donations for first time since 2015
This Halloween, the McMaster Students Union Food Collective Centre hosted its annual Trick-or-Eat food collection campaign in the Hub, collaborating with the McMaster Students Union Maroons for the first time since 2015. On Oct. 30, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., FCC and Maroon volunteers went door-to-door in the neighbourhoods surrounding campus to collect non-perishable items for the FCC's food pantry and fridge.
The FCC, located on the third floor of the Hub, is a student-run service that offers resources to students, faculty and Hamilton community members year-round to address food insecurity amid rising food prices.
Trick-or-Eat is a youth-led national event that adds a charitable twist to Halloween by raising funds and collecting food items for local agencies. This campaign is held across the country and aims to address food insecurity in Canadian households.
Last year, FCC's Trick-or-Eat ran over the course of a week, accepting non-perishable and hygiene items at donation boxes on and off campus. This year, the campaign went door-to-door in five main areas: Westdale, Dalewood, Ofield Road, Leland and Whitney and Emerson at Main Street West and Thorndale. Acceptable donations included non-perishable foods and hygiene products.
FCC social and political advocacy coordinator Siya Sood discussed the event’s organization, which was planned with MSU Maroon event coordinators.
“With the Maroons helping us out, we have more people to go door to door. We hope that in addition to donations, we can interact with members of the McMaster community so they can hopefully hear about our services and know what is available to them if they choose to utilize them,” said Sood.
This year, with the Maroons helping us out, we have more people to go door to door. We hope that in addition to donations, we can interact with members of the McMaster community so they can hopefully hear about our services and know what is available to them if they choose to utilize them.
Siya Sood, Social and Political Advocacy Coordinator
Food Collective Centre
Sood also noted that the FCC’s move to the Hub has increased visibility among students, as the new building is a high-traffic space and is more accessible.
“Having the campaign located in the Hub, a high-traffic, new space compared to our previous location at Bridges Cafe, means people who might not have considered using our services may be more encouraged to do so, as it is more welcoming and easier to access,” said Sood.
Sood emphasized that even students without items to donate could still participate by becoming socially aware and learning more about the FCC's services.
For those outside the collection areas, the FCC arranged donation pickups through a Google Form. For more information on the Trick-or-Eat campaign and the FCC, visit their social media and website.
Since the Phoenix Bar and Grill’s move to the Refectory Building, students have encountered unexpected wait times to enter the restaurant.
“What we’re trying to do is maintain a balance between getting as many people as we can in the restaurant but also maintaining our level of service,” said Jessica Merolli, president of the Graduate Students Association, which owns and operates the bar.
“It has meant that wait times are a little bit longer than they normally are.”
Merolli suggested that the Phoenix wait times are the result of the heightened demand to eat in its larger location and because of increased exposure to undergraduates.
The new Phoenix location was initially touted for its larger capacity, with 35 more seats inside and 81 more seats on the patio. But despite the restaurant’s ability to accommodate more customers, on numerous occasions there have been several sections closed in the main dining hall.
The new location has an occupancy limit of 181 people. Although the liquor license allows for up to 362, the liquor inspector explained that capacity must be capped at the number of people that can fit inside – in the event that it rains and the patio patrons all want to come indoors, for example.
The policy was the same at the Wentworth House location, where capacity was capped at 150, even though the liquor license allowed for 443.
At the new location, though, patrons waiting for tables at the door can see most of the indoor dining hall, which is sometimes relatively empty while the patio is full.
On the service end, the distance between the kitchen and patio has been an issue. In the Wentworth House location, the smaller patio was much closer to the kitchen, which ensured smoother and faster delivery of food. It also ensured more consistent service because servers wouldn’t lose time travelling between the kitchen and the patio.
Merolli also mentioned other factors that she thought were part of the necessary “learning curve” at the new location. The staff transitioned during the restaurant’s peak rush time in Welcome Week and has been adapting to the new kitchen, equipment and seating arrangement.
As the semester continues and things get more settled at the new location, the Phoenix is looking to enhance its service by adding new menu items and allocating a certain number of seats for reservations.
“We’re really happy that everyone is so excited to come to the bar and we’re trying our best to get people through as quickly as possible,” said Merolli. “We don’t want to sacrifice the quality of the service in order to get more people in the restaurant.”
TwelvEighty, the other campus bar, has seen an increase in sales from last year through the first two weeks of September. Whether or not there is link between this increase and the wait times at The Phoenix is uncertain.
