Orillia Food Resources You Need to Know About
Since 2011, the Orillia Food Resource Collective has provided ways to ensure students' food security. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, LUSU elected to pursue new avenues for food assurance, particularly considering the high inflation rate in Canadian grocery stores. Below, we will examine the three pillars of the new Food Resource Collective.
The Pantry
The most recent pillar, the Pantry, opened its doors to Lakehead students on Monday, October 17th, 2022, receiving a significant amount of donations from local businesses. The Pantry is located in OA1032 and can be accessed by securing a key from the LUSU office. Currently, the Pantry contains both non-perishable foods and toiletries, with no limit applied to users in need. Moreover, our LUSU Vice President for Orillia, Brandon Rhéal Amyot, has mentioned the realistic possibility of a refrigerator coming soon to the Pantry so that perishable items may become available. If you cannot access the Pantry because you are a virtual student, you may also sign up for a grocery card once a month by clicking this link.
The Orillia Campus Pantry
The Fresh Market
Once a month, Lakehead also hosts The Fresh Market, which offers free fruits and vegetables to students in the Simcoe Hall Learning Commons. To utilize this resource, you just need to come to the event between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm on the third Tuesday of every month during the school year.
The Fresh Market in Simcoe Hall Learning Commons
The Good Food Box
Students can order the Good Food Box during the first two weeks of every month, and you can submit your order here. After ordering, you can go to the LUSU office to pay for your food box, which will arrive at the university on the third Tuesday of the month, the same day as The Fresh Market. Students can choose between a snack or a meal box, each for $15. The snack box contains foods that do not require cooking and are ideal for residence. The meal box, conversely, contains healthy local ingredients to incorporate into meals. This month, for example, the meal box contained four peppers, six clementines, three oranges, a bag of carrots, a bag of onions, a bag of potatoes, a cabbage, a stalk of celery, a bag of apples, and a large sweet potato.
This month’s Food Box Contents
Ultimately, we’ve got a lot of great food resources that many students are unaware of. Thanks to our friends at LUSU, and the generosity of local donors, students can take a breather knowing that they will not go hungry at Lakehead.