New food pantry coming to Brampton university campus

A local Brampton university plans to create a new food pantry to help students dealing with food insecurity.

Algoma University says it will work with the Algoma University Students’ Union to establish a new food pantry at their Brampton campus as well as expand the existing food pantry at their original campus in Sault Ste. Marie.

The university has pledged to donate $50,000 to the students’ union to support this initiative, the school said in a statement on Monday.

“In the face of the soaring cost of living — especially food-price inflation — hunger is a real issue all across the country. We recognize it is also an issue at universities, including at Algoma University,” said Asima Vezina, Algoma University President and Vice-Chancellor.

The university says systemic discrimination against Indigenous, Black and racialized people plays a role in food insecurity — Ontario food bank data shows 11.9 per cent of food bank users identify as Black and 9.8 per cent identify as Indigenous, more than twice and three times that of the general population, respectively.

“No student should have to choose between buying food and buying textbooks. Ultimately, the goal should be food security for all,” said Vezina.

Besides the school’s own donation, Algoma University is also collecting donations on its website, with a set goal of $100,000 to support its food pantries.

Algoma University’s Brampton campus is located downtown at 24 Queen St East.