Student Emergency Food Centre launches unprecedented donation campaign

“We’ll ask for as many donations as we can so our students are supported”

When Jenna Luczak (Graphic Communications ’19) returned to school to explore new career possibilities, she didn’t know how much Sunday night dinners at her parents’ house would come to mean to her.

Though her husband was still working as a heavy duty mechanic, the rising cost of living had tightened their grocery budget. As a result, there were nights that Luczak would only snack or even skip dinner altogether – but never on Sundays.

“We would be filled up,” says the vice-president external for the NAIT Students’ Association (NAITSA) and current JR Shaw School of Business student. “And we’d have leftovers. So on Monday and Tuesday my productivity was through the roof.”

After that, however, “I’d notice that my productivity would go down.”

Unfortunately, Luczak isn't alone in being a student who’s had to make hard decisions about quality or quantity of food. According to one survey, more than 56% of post-secondary students faced challenges around food in fall 2021. That trend has been reflected in the surging demand at NAITSA’s Emergency Food Centre.

Since 2020, the number of hampers going out to students from the on-campus facility has increased nearly 300%, which means the centre needs more donations than ever.

For the first time, NAIT has formally appealled to those outside of the institute to help – with a pledge from the Walker Wood Foundation, a supporter of post-secondary institutes across Canada, to match total donations of up to $10,000 before 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31, 2023.

Help hungry students: Make a donation to the NAITSA Emergency Food Centre

Luczak doesn’t see efforts at the food centre slowing any time soon.

“Rent has gone up, living has gone up, transportation has gone up – everything,” she says. “We’ll ask for as many donations as we can just so our students are covered, safe and supported.”

While that support could mean the difference between a balanced meal and a bowl of ramen, Luczak points to a broader, long-term impact. Healthy students ultimately mean a healthy economy. That is, to feed one is to feed the other.

“Students are the future,” she says.

Whether they’re just getting started and ready to bring new ideas to industry, or have paused careers to enhance their experience with the latest knowledge and skills, learners of today have an effect on the ability of the province to grow and prosper.

“That’s why we encourage people to donate,” says Luczak. “It directly affects the Alberta of tomorrow.”