Writing a 2500 word essay, doing a biology exam, or even just walking up the stairs at VIU is hard enough on a good day. Doing said activities while hungry makes it all the more difficult.

When your budget is tight, and the decision is between hunger or a $12 sandwich, it is easy to let the pain in your stomach fester knowing you save a few dollars—especially with the next bill or grocery shop looming in the distance.

Food insecurity has become increasingly more prevalent among youth in Canada, with roughly 40-50 percent of post-secondary students in BC reporting they have or are currently experiencing food insecurity.

In an effort to try and make food more accessible to students, Vancouver Island University is partnering with Loaves & Fishes to open a Free Food Market. Every Monday, from 5-7 pm, students and the general public can attend a drop-in market at the Trades Discovery Centre at the Nanaimo campus.

Bring a piece of ID, and you are all set to go. Free parking is available in Lot U from 4-7 pm.

Now, you may be asking yourself, what exactly is a Free Food Market? 

As a certified and experienced market-goer myself, I am here to answer your most pressing questions.

Loaves & Fishes is a registered foodbank, but their Free Food Markets function slightly differently than the average set up. 

Upon arrival, you will wait in line to check in, before moving over to the food selection area. Rows of fresh produce, baked goods, meat and dairy products, as well as shelf-stable options will be available to select.

Don’t like chicken? Pick out a beef option of your choice. Hate sourdough bread? Grab some croissants instead.

While selections are still somewhat restricted, there is flexibility to choose what fits best around your preferences and diet. 

There are two types of food hampers you can choose from when you arrive.

The first option is the Fresh Eats Hamper, where you can select unlimited produce and bread. If you are hungry and have no money to spend, picking up a Fresh Eats Hamper is a guaranteed way to secure free food. You can attend any Loaves & Fishes Market and receive a Fresh Eats Hamper each day.

The second option is the Full Hamper; this lets you select frozen meat, dairy and deli items, shelf-stable products, as well as fresh produce and bread. You are able to pick up one of these hampers every two weeks.

Errol Matheson, a previous VIU Jazz Program student who is returning to study sciences, attended the opening market at the Trade Centre location.

He shares with me why it is so important to have accessible and healthy food options for students on campus.

“When I go to the cafeteria, it’s expensive, so I get the cheapest thing, which is instant noodles. That is not enough nutrition for the day, but it is what I survived on when studying jazz,” Matheson explains.

Having attended a variety of the 12 other Free Food Markets across Nanaimo, Matheson emphasizes the positive impact that having access to fresh and nutritiously dense foods has had on his daily life.

“You are learning in school, and you need to have energy,” Matheson says. “Student budgets often can’t afford quality food, but your brain needs the energy to grow and function.”

As a student myself, it has been hard in the past to buy all the groceries I need. Attending the Free Food Markets helps offset some of the financial strain of being a student. I will admit, I was nervous to attend the first time, so I decided to drag along a friend. It was great to have a buddy, and we both walked out knowing we could fill our fridges.

If you are a student at VIU, I encourage you to try going to the new Loaves & Fishes Free Food Market on campus.

This market is designed to be a support, but that only works if we use it.

Chris Yeats, manager of student affairs, hopes this will help students face “one less tough choice. They can choose to pay rent or buy books instead of feed[ing] themselves that week.”

Bring a friend of your own, arrive a bit early and be willing to wait in line (that’s how you get the best selection).

I hope to see you there.