Students are going hungry, and Kingston’s band-aid solutions aren’t enough.
The urgency is clear. Kingston officially declared food insecurity an emergency in January. Defined as lacking the financial resources to access sufficient and healthy food, food insecurity has now outpaced what community efforts alone can handle, and the government must step in with sustained funding.
As students return to campus, that means juggling classes, extracurriculars and a part-time job, worrying about your next meal shouldn’t be part of that equation. Yet 11 per cent of students experience severe food insecurity, relying on student-run charitable organizations for support.
Student-led initiatives like the AMS Food Bank, Swipe It Forward, and the PEACH Market “pay-what-you-can” program are vital, but they were never meant to carry this burden alone. They must be complemented by stronger municipal action.
For instance, the Society of Graduate and Professional Students’ food insecurity relief program, which is aimed at supporting students facing immediate food insecurity by providing grocery gift cards, could only give out cards to 50 people out of the nearly 500 who applied to receive one in the first 24 hours.
By allocating a larger budget to support student organizations and broaden resources to effectively combat Kingston’s food crisis, our municipal government must take accountability. So far, only a band-aid solution has been made.
Earlier this year, Kingston allocated a $200,000 one-time contribution to its operating budget, with an additional $100,000 from the Fines for Food, a council project where parking tickets are redirected to support food banks and pantries that support the Kingston and Queen’s community. This limited budget can’t subsidize an issue that will continue to grow.
Nearing the end of 2023, Queen’s conducted a campus climate survey that reported 41 per cent of responders are sometimes or often worried they would run out of money before buying food; 39 per cent sometimes or often couldn’t afford nutritious meals; 28 per cent sometimes or often would run out of food and not have enough money to buy more; and 11.2 per cent of students said that they sometimes didn’t eat for an entire day because they didn’t have enough money for food.
The ongoing food crisis in Kingston, which in turn can be defined as a public-health crisis, makes well-being nearly impossible. This bleeds into deteriorating mental and physical health. According to the report, 23 per cent of those with poorer grades (C-D range) are experiencing severe food insecurity, along with 17 per cent of students who don’t get optimal sleep on weeknights.
More students must attend City Council meetings and raise their voices. Even the AMS and student government representatives need to be present, actively speaking out about this issue and others alike, to ensure student voices are heard.
Until Kingston’s Municipal government stops treating food insecurity as a budget line, students will continue to bear a weight they can’t stand.
Mabel is a third-year Biology student and Copy Editor for The Journal.
Tags
food insecurity, Kingston, Municipal Government
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