Regional councillor claims food bank 'overwhelmed' with students, seeks report

Concern over food bank use by foreign students Are international students putting on extra pressure on local food banks? One Waterloo Regional councillor thinks so. Colton Wiens reports.

A Region of Waterloo Councillor wants a report on how post-secondary students accessing food services in the community is affecting the programs.

Councillor Doug Craig raised concerns during a meeting of the Community and Health Services Committee on Tuesday. He was responding to a report on local immigration and demographic changes. The report found temporary study and work permits more than doubled between 2018 and 2022, saying the difference was largely from international students.

Councillor Craig said he wants regional staff to look what impact the students are having on food services.

"The food bank, certain organizations that provide free lunches usually to the homeless, are now being overwhelmed," Craig said. "Trinity Table at Trinity Church. They have three times a week, they have free lunches and they're getting overwhelmed by students. I think we have to deal with that somehow," Craig said.

The Trinity Community Table said it is aware of the increase in number of international students but said it does not collect statistic on their guests.

“All are welcome who are in need of a meal. We are in discussion with representatives from Conestoga College to encourage their support of their students who are in need of food,” said Cheryl MacInnes, chair of management committee for the Trinity Community Table, in an email.

The Executive Director of the Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership said post-secondary schools all have their own food programs and they work to inform students about accessing the programs on campus first.

"So that we can be referring students back to the onsite services that the college and the universities have been developing," said Tara Bedard, executive director of the Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership. "Then looking at really what are our gaps and what do we need to be looking at out in the community that fills in what is not available through the post-secondary institutions."

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region’s latest numbers show 24,063 individuals used the Community Food Assistance Network in April. Of those, 4,247 were between the ages of 18 and 30 and 1,016 identified as post-secondary students. The food bank said it doesn’t track whether they are domestic or international students.

"We have seen an overall decrease in the last couple of years of students accessing food assistance. About a year ago we were seeing about 11 per cent of students accessing food assistance, but right now it's less than 5 per cent," Kim Wilhelm, CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region said.

Wilhelm said the Food Banks main focus is making sure everyone who needs food gets it.

"Instead of focusing on the less than 5 per cent, lets focus on ensuring that we have the food that we need to provide the supports to individuals in need," Wilhelm said. "We're definitely seeing an increase in the number of people accessing food assistance, and our job is to ensure that the programs have the food they need.”

Bedard said she’s open to doing a report on the impact of student use at the food bank and the subject is expected to go to regional council at a later date.

Craig also raised concerns about the number of refugees being placed in the shelter system. Bedard said it is something the region working on, as it's not the kind of welcome that it wants for people who have come into the community fleeing conflict.