Food Services update

For all students and supporters who took the time to sign this petition: thank you. We have heard from Anne MacDonald, VP of Ancillary Services, and they have decided to make no changes whatsoever to the carryover limit. Food Services have chosen to ignore student requests, despite the following: 766 students and supporters taking time to advocate for removing carry over limits; the 2021 Chestnut Food Committee members requesting for these limits to be removed; student food insecurity at all-time highs; soaring inflation and cost of living; a recent consultant's report on dining at Chestnut and New College that suggested "allowing a more liberal rollover policy in lieu of conversion"; and the fact that students this year have experienced dramatic instability from the 5th and 6th waves of COVID-19.

We know that the University of Toronto allows one of the lowest carryover amounts for institutional dining in Canada. A cursory search reveals that Ryerson, Western, Guelph, McGill,  Trent, Lakehead, York University, and the University of Victoria all allow for unlimited carryover amounts. Knowledge is power and we need to understand how other institutions operate more compassionately and with greater concern for student food insecurity in order to push the University of Toronto for more substantive change. 

So what can you do now? Here are three ideas: 1) SPEND SPEND SPEND; 2) Consider donating some of your meal plan to a project that is currently supporting food insecure students at U of T, you can drop the project coordinators a line here and see how you can help; 3) Continue to support student advocacy efforts around food security and financial sovereignty at U of T. 

Thanks again to all and good luck with the rest of your semester!