Food Cupboard - Algonquin Students' Association


Hours of Operation

Monday to Friday
9:00 am to 5:00 pm


Location

Pembroke Campus, Room 100


Contact

Food Cupboard
foodcupboardsa@algonquincollege.com

Get to Know the Food Cupboard

The Food Cupboard is a discreet and confidential support service that provides students who are experiencing food insecurity with food and other basic necessities.

Who Can Access

Are you a student who is experiencing food insecurity due to one or more of the following reasons? You may be eligible to access the Food Cupboard.

  • You are in an emergency or crisis
  • You are at risk of becoming homeless
  • You are missing meals regularly
  • You are not able to afford the necessities of life
  • You are unable to work due to physical and/or mental challenges
  • You have no other avenue to find food, and you have exhausted other resources

Please note that the Food Cupboard resources are limited, and we are prioritizing those who are in urgent need of food.

If you would like to receive a list of additional resources related to accessing food, before using the Food Cupboard services or after, please contact the Food Cupboard by email.

How to Access

Qualifying students can access the Food Cupboard once every 30 days.

To use this service, please complete the intake form.

Intake Form

Funding

The Food Cupboard is funded largely by student activity fees. It is also funded by generous donations from staff, students, and community members.

Please note that the Food Cupboard’s resources are limited – we aim to serve those who need it the most.

Donations

The Food Cupboard is always accepting donations! Food donations can be dropped off at the main Student’s Association office (Room 100). Monetary donations can also be processed in Room 100.

Acceptable donations include the following:

  • Unopened, packaged, and non-perishable food donations (e.g. canned and packaged soups, canned beans, pasta, fruit, and meats)
  • Unopened personal items such as soap, toothpaste, and floss

We cannot accept any of the following items as donations:

  • Expired items or items past their best-before dates
  • Homemade goods such as cookies, muffins, etc.
  • Any perishable or frozen items (e.g. Milk, meat, fruits and vegetables, etc.)
  • Open containers of food (e.g. broken or ripped bags, partly-used tins of coffee, etc.)
  • Any items with quality concerns

Please contact the Food Cupboard by email for larger volume donations, events where you are collecting donations, or more information on donating.

FAQ

The Food Cupboard is located in room B102. Directions will be provided in your confirmation email once you have scheduled an appointment and completed an intake form.

Each student must schedule an appointment and complete an intake form each time they use the Food Cupboard. You may do so using this link. You MUST complete both forms prior to your appointment, and you may be asked to show your two confirmation emails during pick-up.

The intake form asks basic questions, for example, student number, email, reason for visit, and family type. This information is shared with The Ottawa Food Bank, who the Food Cupboard is a member agency of. All information is kept private and confidential.

Food insecurity means not having access to sufficient food, or food of an adequate quality, to meet basic needs.

Ottawa students can access the Food Cupboard one time per calendar month.

Pembroke students can access the Food Cupboard once every 30 days.

No, if you need additional food assistance between your visits to the Food Cupboard, let the Food Cupboard Coordinator know and they can provide a list of other food resources offered in the city of Ottawa.

You must bring your student card and your own bags (2 bags are recommended).

Best Before Date: Indicates when the unopened product should be of high quality (if the product has been stored under appropriate conditions). It does NOT mean the product is necessarily unsafe to eat. Also referred to as: "use by", "sell by" or "freeze by". E.g.: bread, most canned & packaged foods.

Expiry Date: Indicates when the last day a product is safe to consume. E.g.: infant formula, baby food, vitamins, etc.

Understanding these terms can help reduce food waste and save you money!

 

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