The University of Lethbridge Students' Union Food Bank, which helped over 300 people last year, needs continued resources to keep this valuable service alive.

The Students' Union hosts a variety of events in an attempt to keep the Food Bank operating. The Peter Mansbridge lecture, which raised over $2,300 from ticket sales and an unspecified personal donation from Mansbridge himself, is one such event that benefits the food bank.

The ULSU Food Bank depends heavily on donations from generous people, without which the ULSU wouldn't be able to help the number of students it does.

"As the costs of attaining a post-secondary education continue to increase, it has become much harder for students to make ends meet. All too often students have difficulty affording the necessities of life. As a result, we see the demand for our food bank services spike," says Keith McLaughlin, ULSU vice-president academic. "The ULSU Food Bank needs help to ensure that its operations remain sustainable, so that we can continue to help our students in times of need."

Historically, the months of February, March and April see a spike in the number of students who utilize the food bank. Each food bank user is unique, and the Students' Union strives to alleviate some of the pressures they face, allowing students to focus on their education.

Food bank hampers are made to sustain a single student for five to seven days. There are also hampers designated for students with families. Each hamper contains an assortment of healthy foods and all students are eligible for assistance. Students are eligible to receive one hamper every two weeks to a maximum of 10 hampers during their entire academic career at the University of Lethbridge.

"The ULSU Food Bank welcomes any help from the University community or southern Alberta as a whole," says Taz Kassam, ULSU president. "We want students to be able to focus on their education and enjoying their time at the University of Lethbridge, not worrying about where there next meal is going to come from."

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