Our Community Partners: USAY & VCC Food Pantry

August 24, 2022

At Spud, we are committed to strengthening the communities we operate in. Going back to school can be stressful for many, especially those experiencing food insecurity. For the month of September, we have partnered with USAY and VCC Food Pantry to help youth at risk experiencing food security.

Did you know?

A recent cross-Canada study (2020) found that 40% of the students surveyed experienced food insecurity.
68% of students prioritized tuition over food and other essentials.
One in four students had skipped a meal
1 in 10 had gone a whole day without food due to limited finances.
16.8% reported accessing food banks when money was tight.

Our Community Partners:

USAY

USAY is an Indigenous-led charitable organization that works with Indigenous youth who are 12 to 29 years old and live in the City of Calgary. Their programs are co-created with Indigenous youth, who have a voice in the work we do to meet their needs.

USAY serves thousands of Indigenous youth on an annual basis, although youth-focused, our programs support the success of their whole family. Their programs are innovative, engaging, and fun, and are usually where art meets technology meets Indigenous worldview, which makes them entirely unique

USAY focuses on three main outcomes; healing, social inclusion, and successful transitions to adulthood, and although big topics, our programs and supports meet the youth ‘where they are at.

The Indigenous community has experienced historical and ongoing injustices from colonization, and for these reasons they are more likely to interact with what is often called ‘the sorrow systems’, such as justice, homelessness, addictions, and overall poor health outcomes. USAY provides opportunities for youth to understand how history, systems, and colonization might have affected them and how they can reclaim culture and identity.

Vancouver Community College – Food Pantry

Conceived by the Dean of Indigenous Education and Community Engagement, Reba Noel (of Mi’kmaq heritage) The Vancouver Community College’s Indigenous Food Pantry Program was set up to provide healthy and accessible snacks for Indigenous students who were impacted by food insecurity. With drop-in areas set up in their Broadway and Downtown locations, the goal of this program is to alleviate hunger and support students in keeping up with their studies throughout the school year. Providing meals to over 600 students the drop-in spaces provide Indigenous students with barrier-free access to healthy and easy-to-make breakfast and lunch items.

How you can donate with Spud:

Donate with your Spud order! Add select items to your Spud order and the monetary value will be donated directly to these charities.

Our Bin Drive: Add any non-perishable food items to your Spud bin from September 4 – 17. The food will be taken back to our warehouse with your bin pick up or next order and directly donated to charity! Non-perishable items below will be accepted: