About the EHRO Food Pantry
The EHRO Food Pantry is located outside of the Peterborough Symons Campus’ Equity and Human Rights Office (EHRO), located in Otonabee College room 122. Students can access food bags simply by grabbing one from the food pantry shelf located in the EHRO. The food pantry has a guiding principle of “take what you need” to ensure that students experiencing food insecurity are not limited by different barriers, such as strict scheduling protocols; and to ensure that students are able to access food in flexibility of their various schedules/circumstances. Each food bag contains several different non-perishable food items, including pancake mix, syrup, and different grains and flours to allow food pantry users to have agency in making their own dishes in accordance with their dietary and/or cultural preferences.
This year, the EHRO has prepared 20 food bags to support students experiencing food insecurity.
EHRO food bags are offered twice per semester: once near the beginning of the semester and again toward the end of the semester to help students navigate ongoing financial pressures.
This Year's Food Bag Ingredients
Food bags contain a selection of the following non-perishable items:
- Pancake mix
- Syrup
- Beans
- Macaroni
- Vegetable oil
- 2 cans of tuna
- Rice
Why We Created the Food Pantry
The EHRO Food Pantry was created to support students who may be experiencing food insecurity. Accessing the pantry is simple, and students are not required to provide proof of need. As rising food costs and financial pressures continue to affect post-secondary students, the Food Pantry serves as one of the many ways the Equity & Human Rights Office is working to create a caring and supportive campus community.
This year, the Food Pantry is coordinated by Andriana Semeniuc, a third-year Sociology student specializing in Social Justice & Equity Studies with a minor in Political Studies, who is dedicated to helping students access essential food resources with dignity and ease.
Our Achievements
The Equity & Human Rights Office has had the pleasure of supporting food security initiatives on both the Durham and Peterborough campuses. Through our collaboration with the Durham Food Bank, we donated 4 food bags. We also partnered with the Trent Durham Student Association (TDSA) to contribute 5 food bags to its food insecurity initiative, with additional bags made available through the TDSA office.
