AMS Food Bank patrons may see shorter lines in the coming weeks as the food bank moves right around the corner in the Life Building.
The new room (LIFE 0023) will allow around ten clients to access the food bank at the same time, more than double the current capacity of four clients. In addition, the location will provide additional storage space to assist with re-stocking of items throughout the day.
“Hopefully, [these changes] will make a better experience for all folks using the food bank,” said Kathleen Simpson, senior manager of student services at the AMS.
The move is slated to take place during a weekend in late October and will not impact the food bank’s operating hours.
Simpson said that while a relocation had been planned for years, AMS Student Services waited until an appropriate space was available and staff capacity was at the level where they could support a move. The new space was previously occupied by the Exchange Student Club, which was deconstituted earlier this summer.
Simpson added that the timing was apt given a projected increase in visits, surpassing the levels seen during the 2021/22 Winter Term.
“The summer demand was nearly twice as much as last year’s summer demand, and we are very conscious that going into the new year, we typically see a 30% increase in usage from summer to winter term,” said Simpson.
Funding for the move came from a $6,604 expenditure from the AMS Capital Projects Fund. The majority of the funding will go towards electric panel and wiring upgrades, as well as purchasing a new refrigerator to store more perishable goods like milk.
Costs continue to climb
Documents submitted to AMS Council stated that rising demand and low funding projections from UBC for the fall term led to the variety of foods being cut by two-thirds early this summer. According to Simpson, culturally-accessible items like rice and produce staples like oranges were among the items the food bank was unable to purchase.
AMS President Eshana Bhangu announced on Wednesday that the food bank was allocated $145,000 out of the $425,000 distribution from the UBC President’s Office towards food insecurity efforts at UBC Vancouver.
Simpson said that the new funding should be enough to cover any projected budget shortfalls for the 2022-23 academic year and that items would be reintroduced gradually over the coming month as discussions regarding the distribution of funds from UBC to the AMS continue.
“We’re going to be having a larger discussion with the food bank team about what more variety we can reintroduce with this funding from UBC and also the recent influx of donations [we’ve received],” said Simpson.
Camila Davila, a fourth-year international student at UBC, says she’s glad that the AMS Food Bank is able to meet her needs. Davila said that after her government-sponsored scholarship funds began to run low this past spring, she relied on her savings and the food bank to make ends meet as she hopes to graduate this fall.
“It has been really helpful because otherwise I wouldn’t always have access to basic things like milk [and] eggs, because right now things are very expensive outside,” said Davila.
Davila said that she’s hopeful the new changes will allow the food bank to better serve individuals in the UBC community and allow community members to put more energy towards their studies and passions.
“I know I am almost there, it's just four months left,” said Davila. “Without the food bank it wouldn't be possible, and I'm really grateful [for it].”
A previous version of this story misstated that the reduction in variety at the food bank was made in September, when it was made in early summer. This article was updated on October 22, 2022 at 11:28 a.m.. to reflect this change.