Over 100 parcels were delivered to students in need on Wednesday, March 25 (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Students in need receive food through U of L campus care parcel campaign

Mar 26, 2020 | 12:03 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – For the 17^th straight year, the University of Lethbridge’s campus care parcel initiative has helped over a hundred students.

Volunteers from the community, the U of L, church groups in southern Alberta and Save-on-Foods supported the distribution of parcels filled with groceries for learners on Wednesday, March 25.

Chaplain for Ecumenical Campus Ministry, Erin Phillips, said with the U of L closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with residence buildings, now more than ever this program is making an impact, something it’s been doing for almost two decades.

“We’ve been doing a study of poverty on the university campus for the last couple of years and about a quarter of our students are food insecure to some degree and of course now that’s accentuated,” she said.

“I think this year it’s going to be even more so [impactful], because even if students have money, they can’t get to the grocery stores and if they get there, a lot of things aren’t there. This food was all purchased a few weeks ago, so it’s all been quarantined so we know it’s safe.”

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Phillips said she’s received feedback from students who have benefitted from the program, with deliveries of parcels being done at the end of each school term.

“We know it has a huge impact because I get messages from students afterwards, I run into students after they’ve graduated who have said this was like the best thing at the end of the term,” she commented.

The parcels are usually distributed on a first come, first serve basis in the school atrium. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and practices of social distancing in place, parcels were delivered curbside to participants outside of Anderson Hall

“This year, we targeted students who we knew would be in greater need, or we thought that were likely to be in greater need and we put the word out through some of our starving student networks and I hope that we’ve gotten to the students that most needed it,” Phillips said.

She added that they would be providing on-going support to students who are still living in residence during the coronavirus situation.