The Acadia community rallied in November to tackle food insecurity by participating in the University’s Take Ten, Give Ten campaign as part of Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving. The campaign encouraged supporters to take a moment to reflect on how they made ends meet as students and consider making a $10 or more donation. Contributions raised over $7,000 to tackle student food insecurity on the Wolfville, Nova Scotia campus.

Nancy Handrigan (’92), Acadia’s Vice-President, Advancement, expressed her gratitude to the individuals and organizations who offered support. "We are deeply moved by the generosity of those who contributed funds, food items, and other necessities to support our students. Our student community faces food security challenges, and every gift helps."

The Giving Tuesday campaign bolstered support for essential food security initiatives at Acadia, including the Acadia Students’ Union Food Cupboard and the Enactus Acadia Food Sharing Initiative.

 

Students take the lead

Acadia students are committed to stepping up to help one another and work toward developing sustainable food sovereignty on campus.

Adrianna Lynn, a nutrition student at Acadia and leader of a team of volunteers at the Acadia Students’ Union Food Cupboard, said donations will help students in need and expand programming. “We strive to provide Acadia students with dignified access to culturally relevant, nutritiously dense food," Lynn said. "Sometimes that is difficult in a food bank setting because many of the donated foods are non-perishable and highly processed."

Business student Kirsten Lawrence leads the Enactus Acadia student group, which focuses on solving problems it sees in the community. "Food insecurity is one of the biggest challenges Acadia students face,” Lawrence said. “We've started hosting community meals to destigmatize traditional food bank models and bring students together around a good meal."

Recently, the ASU Food Cupboard and Enactus Food Sharing Initiative joined forces with the Acadia Sustainability Office to offer fresh food choices in the Students’ Union Building during the final days of the fall term.  

Community support

Handrigan highlighted the many ways the community rallied throughout November to support Acadia students facing food insecurity.

Ongoing advocacy included the J&W Murphy Foundation's matching funds pledge, which doubled each donation received during the Giving Tuesday campaign. Alumni, faculty, and staff responded enthusiastically to requests for support.

In addition, campus-wide initiatives, such as departmental food item collections, a bake sale held by the Registrar's Office, and Tuesday door sales by Chartwells further demonstrated the culture of care at Acadia University.

However, "while the funds raised during our Giving Tuesday campaign will help provide access to nutritious food and other essentials, the need is ongoing,” Handrigan said. “We are incredibly grateful for the support and encourage members of our community to continue their kindness."

Make a difference

Acadia University invites all members of the community to maintain that support. Donations can be made throughout the year to Acadia’s Food Security initiative, providing much-needed help to students facing food insecurity.

To donate, please visit our website.

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