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Overview
Food Security for Students
Did you know that 1 in 4 BCIT students face some form of food insecurity? Food insecurity can mean different things to different people but can include situations where a student cannot afford to eat balanced meals including protein, fruit and vegetables or where they are eating less than they should because they do not have enough food available.
All BCIT students regardless of program or enrollment status deserve to be well-nourished. We serve domestic and international students and vegetarians, vegans or and those with allergies to dairy or gluten. We will do our best with substitutions for all allergies based on inventory. We share culturally appropriate food often. Whether these bring the taste of home or an opportunity to try new foods, everyone benefits.
How we help
Connecting Students with Resources they need!
The Food Support Hub provides a variety of resources, including the BCITSA Food Pantry on the Burnaby campus, which offers essential food items. Students can also use the Community Fridge to share food and reduce waste or get a referral-only membership to Quest Non-Profit Grocery Store. The Emergency Food Fund is available to students who are experiencing emergent needs, including for flexible learning students and students at specialty campuses who cannot access the Burnaby Campus.
BCITSA Food Pantry
Visit the BCITSA Food Pantry on the 2nd floor of SE2 on Wednesdays at 1-3PM. This free resource offers ten pantry staples including fresh produce, protein and starches.
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Community Fridge
The Community Fridges are accessible and low barrier ways for everyone to share food, reduce waste, and support each other. Take what you need, leave what you can.
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Quest Food Exchange Referral
Our Wellbeing specialists can refer students to a low-cost grocery store with multiple locations. This is a 3-year membership for students who meet specific criteria.
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Emergency Food Fund
Students who study online or at a specialty campus may be eligible for emergency food assistance. Discuss your eligibility with our Wellbeing specialists during an appointment.
Learn MoreBecome A Volunteer Today!
Want to gain experience and make a difference at BCIT? Become a volunteer! We have flexible opportunities for you to give back to the community, whether you can commit to a few hours a week or just help with special events. Fill out the form to get started. We typically hold intakes once per term, but may have ongoing opportunities.
Community Fridge
Your Campus Community Fridge
A community fridge is a free, shared resource that provides a safe and low-barrier way for students to access food. Operating on the principle of take what you need, leave what you can, this resource helps reduce food waste and addresses food insecurity on campus by providing a space for members of the BCIT community to share food with each other. By working together to keep the fridge clean and by only donating items you would eat yourself, we can ensure that it remains a reliable resource for everyone.
FAQ
The Community Fridge is an accessible, safe, and low-barrier resource for individuals to access food on their terms, taking what they need, when they need it. It provides a place for people on campus to give and take, reduce waste, and helps to ensure that members of the BCIT community can feed themselves and their families.
Located at the Burnaby campus on the 2nd floor of building SE2. Located next to the food pantry in Room 258 and in SE16 outside the squash courts.
Anyone can take part! The fridge will be open for anyone who wants to take food from it or leave food in it.
Donors can be individuals who bought too much, food services on campus with extra that will be thrown away, or local grocers with stock that cannot be sold for cosmetic reasons. By giving what we can and taking what we need, we are all playing a part in supporting each other and reducing food waste.
We will gratefully accept the following unopened and unused items:
- Fresh Fruit
- Fresh Vegetables
- Dry Goods
- Sealed Non-Alcoholic Beverages (Water, Juice, Milk Alternatives, etc)
- Grab And Go Food (Single Serving Snacks, Granola Bars, etc)
We will gratefully accept the any of the following items if they are labelled with a best before date
- Breads and Pastries
- Fresh Eggs
- Dairy Products
- Meat Alternatives
Unfortunately, we cannot accept the following items:
- Raw Meat or Seafood
- Expired Food
- Half-Eaten Food
- Alcohol
- Dented Cans
- Mouldy Produce
- Leftovers
- Home-cooked meals*
* We can only accept cooked meals from commercially licensed kitchens that properly label all the food.
Before you donate, please ask yourself the following questions:
Is it going to waste?
Identify edible food items that are at risk of being thrown away or going to waste.
Is it still fresh?
Only donate food when still fresh or before it reaches the expiry date if it has one.
Can it be included?
Make sure the item is an accepted food type for the Community Fridge. Don’t donate any food types that are not accepted.Do I still have use for it?
Only donate food if you don’t have use for it, not because it’s no longer edible.
BCITSA Staff and Volunteers will be maintaining and monitoring the fridge to ensure guidelines and safety procedures are being followed. For more information on the safety measures in place, please read the Safety & Procedure Guidelines.If the fridge appears to require maintenance, please contact foodsupport@bcitsa.ca
The Community Fridge operates under the take something, leave something philosophy where access to healthy foods can be accessed, no questions asked. We will not police who is taking the food, how much, or how often. Some people have large families or are helping to distribute to neighbours in need. There are many reasons why someone may need to access the fridge and they are all valid.
Thank you for your interest! There are many ways to get involved with the Community Fridge:
- Bring food to the fridge.
- Spread the word to peers, friends, and colleagues.
Food Pantry
Taking Action on Food Insecurity
College life can be a financial strain, but the BCITSA Food Pantry is here to help. Located on the second floor of SE2 at the Burnaby campus, it’s a free resource for students who need groceries. We provide a variety of accessible, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food to help you get through the week.
What, Where, When & Who
Located in Building SE2 (2nd Floor) in room 258 (across from the print shop) at the Burnaby campus, this free resource provides students with easy access to nutrient dense food. The pantry is open on Wednesdays from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Coming soon – the SA is adding a second food pantry day on Thursdays from 3-5PM, this service will be available for students who cannot attend Wednesdays. The menu and location is the same, the intention is to increase access to students who are not on campus on Wednesdays.
To use the service, please bring your BCIT Student ID card and a reusable shopping bag. We kindly ask that you please be respectful of staff and volunteers.
If you are unable to visit the pantry during regular hours, BCIT students can book an appointment with a Wellbeing Specialist to access other food supports.
Please donate the following:
We welcome unopened, unexpired fresh, frozen, and pantry foods, plus hygiene items. Please ensure dairy, eggs, bread, and meat alternatives have clear best-before dates.
Optional Link
We cannot take the following:
For safety, we cannot accept raw meat, seafood, alcohol, leftovers, or home canning. Please do not donate items that are open, expired, damaged, or unlabelled.
Optional Link
Our Donation Wishlist
Are you interested in donating to the Food Pantry? Thank you! This is a non-exhaustive list of some items we’re always looking for: Fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, nut butters, on-the-go lunch items, oils, butter, beans, canned products, pasta, personal healthcare items, and much more.
View our culturally relevant food list that we are always accepting.
Click HereFAQ
The Food Pantry is located on the BCIT Burnaby Campus in SE2 room 258.
Any BCIT Student who is in immediate need of food support may access the Food Pantry. The Food Pantry is a low-barrier program that relies on the self-identified needs of students. If you feel that this program would help you, you are encouraged and welcome to visit.
Please bring your BCIT Student ID for confirmation of eligibility and a reusable grocery bag or backpack.
The Food Pantry caters to BCIT students facing emergent food needs, offering timely access to healthy and nutritious food. Students can benefit from a bag of pantry staples groceries once per week.
Each student will get to choose from a menu of appropriately 10 items ranging from fresh produce to proteins to ready to eat snacks.
Students who primarily learn online or at one of BCIT’s Specialty Campuses may speak with a member of the Wellbeing team to explore further resources. Appointments can be booked here.
Our goal is to ensure the pantry is accessible for all students. To request accommodations, please reach out to wellbeing@bcitsa.ca to coordinate an accommodation for access to the pantry.
We do our best to stock the pantry with healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant shelf-stable and fresh food. Because our food is primarily provided through donations, we cannot guarantee that one type of food will always be stocked. Students can expect to find a variety of grains, canned goods, beverages, snacks, and fresh produce, in addition to personal hygiene items, such as toothbrushes/toothpaste, soap, menstrual products, deodorant, etc.
Food passed the printed best before date is still safe to eat. Food Pantry Staff and Volunteers inspect all food products to ensure that food distributed in the Food Pantry meets &/or exceeds established safety and quality standards set forth in the Best Before Guidelines created by Food Banks Canada. We always encourage visual inspection; however, when in doubt, do not consume the food.
The fridges are located on the Burnaby Campus in buildings SE2-2nd floor next to the food pantry and SE16 outside the squash courts. They are open any time the building is open and are ‘self serve’. The food pantry operates in fixed hours and food is ordered through a menu.
Yes, absolutely! Please apply to a position on our website.
BCITSA EmploymentGet Involved
Hungry to Help Out?
Yes, absolutely! Please apply to a position on our website.
Apply TodayVolunteering with the food hub is a great professional development opportunity for those wanting to build their resume, meet students outside their programs and contribute to food security and student life on campus. Typically we do intakes at the beginning of each term for our volunteer roles.
General Inquiries
Wellbeing Coordinator
Erika Wada
Wellbeing Specialist
Tina Ling
Wellbeing Manager
leanne Mack
Additional resources
Food Support & More
Here are some additional resources to help you tackle food insecurity, because we believe every student deserves access to nutritious food.
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