It’s no secret that getting a parking ticket is a great way to ruin anyone’s day.
While that rings true for students, faculty and staff at UBC Okanagan, there’s a program in place that can help cut the cost of a ticket for those who want to contribute to a great cause.
The Food for Fines program has been operating on campus for several years and it results in a biannual influx in donations to UBCO’s Pantry.
The on-campus food bank, run by the Students’ Union Okanagan, opened in 2019 and it helps provide emergency food relief for students.
Twice a year, in February and November, anyone with a parking citation from campus can cut the cost in half by making a food donation to the Pantry.
Over the past two sessions, the Food for Fines program has helped the Pantry secure back-to-back record-breaking donation hauls.
“In November we received 1,765 items—which was a new record for the single largest food donation to the SUO Pantry,” explained Jeff Joyce, manager of parking services at UBCO.
“However, that record didn’t last long, as our February contributions totalled more than 1,925 items. That translates to about $5,680 in parking citation forgiveness.”
Stephanie Patterson, SUO food security and nutrition manager, says the need for the Pantry has grown considerably in recent years, with more than 100 students using the space each day.
“With various programs spanning the year, we rely greatly on campus partners as well as off-campus donors to keep our shelves filled,” she explained.
“Parking Services’ Food for Fines program has had a huge impact on our ability to keep our stores up and occurs at a time when donations tend to decrease. We are so grateful for all their hard work, and their creative way to ease students’ financial burden.”
According to Patterson, more than 43% of post-secondary students across Canada are food insecure.
UBCO students can request a hamper, donate or volunteer their time at the SUO Pantry, which you can learn more about by clicking this link.
