Located in the Douglas T. Kenny building’s Suedfeld Lounge (2nd floor).
The mission of the Psychology Community Pantry is to help fight food insecurity within our department and work to provide sustenance and support to our community members. Our community pantry follows the philosophy of the UBC AMS Food Bank: “Give when you can, take when you need.” If you need food, please visit the pantry for a snack! We ask that you take only what you need. If you can give, we welcome monetary donations and/or direct food/supply donations.
Find the pantry next to the entrance of the Kenny Building's Suedfeld Lounge. Open up the pantry by pulling up on the door lever. Inside the pantry, you’ll find labeled boxes with different kinds of items, and sticky notes for leaving suggestions. Take what you need, feel free to use a provided bag if one is available, and leave a suggestion note if you’d like.
Also located in the lounge is a microwave and water kettle. Please feel free to use these, but do help us in keeping the lounge tidy.
The pantry is run based on the support of our Psychology community. There are two easy ways to donate:
Monetary Donations:
Monetary donations can be made through our GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/3fbb18f1. This page is managed by a team of three (good ol’ checks and balances) and all proceeds will be used to replenish the Community Pantry. With this money we can place orders via the AMS Food Bank system, allowing us to purchase at wholesale bulk prices.
Food/Goods Donations:
If you would like to donate specific goods to the Community Pantry, please drop off any items in the donation bin located just across from the pantry—a black metal cabinet in the Northwest corner of the Suedfeld Lounge.
At UBC-- and within the Psychology department-- many students and staff are faced with the difficult challenge of accessing regular, nutritious, culturally appropriate meals. Their academic performance, mental well-being, and overall quality of life are adversely affected.
UBC statistics indicate that 2 out of every 5 undergraduate students report having worried about running out of food, and 1 out of every 2 graduate students report the same. Food insecurity is greatest amongst international students, trans/non-binary students, and BIPOC students.
By hosting a Community Pantry within our department, we hope to help all who are working in and visiting the Psychology department find the sustenance they might need.
Other Sources of Support for Food Insecurity
Beyond our department pantry, UBC also has many other resources for food and goods:
- AMS Food Bank: An emergency food relief service for UBC students, located in the UBC Life Building. They offer various perishable foods, non-perishable foods, and some personal care supplies. Students can access the food bank 16 times per term. See off campus resources.
- Food Hub Market: Proving low-cost grocery essentials. Located within the CIRS building, the market is currently open Tuesday-Thursday.
- Sprouts: A student-run co-op providing food to the UBC community. Sprouts hosts a variety of initiatives, including a cafe with lower-cost foods, a free meal program, a by-donation community lunch on Fridays, and a community fridge stocked weekly with free/accessible items. Sprouts is located in the Life building and typically is open only during the fall/winter/spring terms.
- Agora Cafe: A student-run, not-for-profit cafe, offering affordable meals. Located in the Macmillan building, Agora is typically open for lunch October-December and February-April.
- Acadia Food Hub: A community project at UBC supporting households with food and baby supplies.
For further resources and links, check out the UBC Food Hub website.
Interested in Further Conversations about SES and the Psychology Department?
Join the EDI Community of Practice on “SES & Our Students”! Contact Dr. Jay Hosking to be added to the email list.