New kitchen to offer free lunches to UPEI students
'You can't focus on an empty stomach'
A new kitchen will open soon at UPEI, called the Panther Pantry, that will serve free lunches to students.
Acadia University did a study recently that found 38 per cent of students aren't getting enough healthy food to eat. Claire Byrne, one of the organizers of the Panther Pantry, thinks the numbers at UPEI are similar.
"That's a huge number. And that essentially means you don't know where your next meal is coming from, or you're not eating healthy meals, or you're not eating three meals a day," said Byrne.
She believes there are a number of factors at play. Everything from the high number of UPEI students who commute to campus, high student debt, and the rising cost of tuition.
Going to school hungry not good
"You can't focus on an empty stomach, and if what you're thinking about is where am I going to get supper, you're not going to be focusing on your mid-term in front of you," said Byrne.
The university administration is allowing the group to use the kitchen off the faculty association lounge in the Main building.
"We are extremely pleased to work with the UPEI Student Union on this student-led initiative," said Jackie Podger, vice-president of UPEI administration and finance.
"UPEI recognizes the benefits of the Panther Pantry as it provides locally-sourced, healthy meals to students who may not have the time to prepare or the resources to purchase food."
Space being renovated now
The space is being used for storage right now, but Byrne said in a few weeks they hope to have a fridge and stove installed, and the group has just been given a Value Village donation of six boxes of cooking equipment.
Byrne hopes the first meal will be served at the start of the second semester in January.
"All you have to do is bring your own little dish."
She said how frequently the lunches will be offered will depend on food donations and how many volunteers they have, but she's hoping to be able to offer a free lunch every other week.
Locally-sourced food
Food donations haven't been a problem.
The group served seven meals last year, and donations poured in, including 25 pound bags of turnips and carrots. The Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society donated 100 ears of corn, and Byrne and some of the other volunteers gleaned fields with the PEI Food Exchange and came back with bags and bags of beets.
"There's lots of food on this island. There's no reason that people should be going hungry on P.E.I. We're such a small island, we're primarily agriculture, there's plenty of food to go around, it's just we have to think about how it's being distributed."