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7must also consider food insecurity when identifying supports, services and programs to meetstudent needs.Review:Summary of conversations with partnersIn conversation with campus partners, and by reviewing available data related to food insecurityon campus, we can see that when Queen’s students experience student food insecurity, it remainslargely invisible. Many campus partners clearly expressed that some Queen’s studentsexperience moderate to severe food insecurity. International students, graduate students, studentswith family responsibilities and female-identified students were seen to be most likely toexperience food insecurity. Students at the intersection of more than one of these identities wereseen to be the most food insecure. The questions used to guide partner meetings and the completelist of partner meetings conducted for this report can be found in Appendix 2.Financial hardship is the most significant challenge leading to difficulty accessing food. Inaddition, the perceived affluence of the Queen’s population was seen by many campus partnersto mask the issue of food insecurity. Pressure to maintain appearances with their peers, and thestigma associated with being food insecure, means that many students who are struggling withfood insecurity are not easily identifiable and their experiences of food insecurity can become asocially isolating experience. Campus partners believed that the stigma and shame associatedwith being food insecure was amplified within the Queen’s environment, where many assumethat all students are financially stable. Any programming targeted at relieving challengesassociated with food insecurity must take this into consideration.Summary of dataQueen’s participates in the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) survey, acomprehensive health survey conducted every three years. For the first time in 2019, the survey(n 2,349) included 3 additional (Queen’s specific) questions related to food insecurity. The datademonstrates that some students at Queen’s are certainly experiencing food insecurity. Studentswere asked to describe how often, over the past academic year (since September 2018), theyworried their food would run out before they had enough money to buy more, skippedmeals/went hungry, or deliberately substituted buying and eating low-cost foods instead of moreexpensive ones. Data indicated that many students, 37% (n 621) do make deliberatesubstitutions of lower cost foods, and that 6.3% (n 145) of students are worried about foodrunning out before they have enough money to buy more. Most significantly, 3.4% (n 78) ofstudents skipped meals or went hungry because they could not afford to eat.While these are not high numbers, it is important to note that the impact on these students can besevere. Further analysis shows that students experiencing food insecurity were more likely toreport higher stress levels, have languishing mental health, work more than 10 hours a week forpay, and were less likely to have a GPA in the “A” range.1616Humphrys, K. (2019). Queen’s University 2019 NCHA National College Health Assessment. Initial Analysis of FoodInsecurity Questions for Food Insecurity Working Group. Presentation, Gordon Hall, Queen's University

8In spring 2018, Student Affairs and Hospitality Services launched Swipe It Forward Queen’s.This peer-to-peer support initiative is based on similar programs at US schools intended toaddress some of the food insecurity issues on campuses. The Swipe It Forward Queen’s programis believed to be the first of its kind in Canada. The program gives students with a meal plan theoption of donating one meal a week to the program (up to five per term) from the current week’smeals. During the academic year, students experiencing food insecurity can contact a range ofprogram partners across Student Affairs, and up to 25 meals per term can be loaded on to theirstudent card. These meals can be used in the dining halls or at retail food locations on campus.When meals are redeemed, no one is aware that the meals are from the program, as all studentscan use their student cards at food outlets. To date, 2,921 students on meal plans have donated4,177 meals and 397 students have accessed the program. Since its launch, there has been asteady increase in the number of meals issued to students, which reflects the need for thisprogram, as well as increasing awareness of it as a resource for students experiencing foodinsecurity.In the fall 2018 semester, two fourth-year Nursing students did a Community Health Promotioncourse practicum placement with Student Affairs and focused on the Swipe It Forward Queen’sprogram. The goal of their assessment and project was to make students more knowledgeableand aware of food insecurity and the available resources. They conducted a student survey andfound 40% of respondents did not know about existing efforts on campus, including Swipe ItForward Queen’s. Students also demonstrated that they did not fully understand the definition ofbeing ‘food insecure’. While nearly 40% of students who responded reported experiencing someform of food insecurity, they would not label themselves as such and it is not a regular topic ofdiscussion for them.Unpublished research by Power et al. indicated that Queen’s students may be chronically orcyclically food insecure for a variety of reasons including inadequate financial resources forpurchasing food, and challenges when transitioning to independent living after living at home orin residence.17 Students also spoke about difficulty in accessing food due to class schedules anddistance from sources of affordable food.On the national level, it appears that the issue of food insecurity among students may be evenmore acute. A report published by Meal Exchange in 2016 found that of the eight Canadian postsecondary institutions they researched (University of Northern British Colombia, University ofCalgary, University of Saskatchewan, Lakehead University, Brock University, RyersonUniversity, Dalhousie University and Acadia University) “nearly two in five (39%) studentssurveyed experienced some form of food insecurity”.18 The findings of the report “suggest thatfood insecurity is a serious issue for post-secondary students in Canada”.1917Power et al. (2019). The invisibility of student food insecurity atQueen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.18Silverthorn, D. (2016). Hungry for knowledge: Assessing the prevalence of student food insecurity onfive Canadian campuses. Toronto: Meal Exchange. Retrieved from: http://mealexchange.com.19Silverthorn, D. (2016). Hungry for knowledge: Assessing the prevalence of student food insecurity onfive Canadian campuses. Toronto: Meal Exchange. Retrieved from: http://mealexchange.com.

9Environmental Scan of Services and SupportsBetween July and October 2019, student food researcher Mikayla Sebesta worked within themandate of the working group to produce an environmental scan of the programs and servicesthat focus on food insecurity at Queen’s University. Her review examined approaches employedby ten other post-secondary institutions located in Ontario and Quebec that address foodinsecurity. She also met with campus partners to discuss student experiences of food insecurity,and reviewed current available data related to food insecurity at Queen’s.The environmental scan of programs and services that focus on food insecurity at Queen’s can befound in Appendix 3. Many programs related to food insecurity are recorded in this scan, but itmay not be inclusive of all the programs at Queen’s University as some programs may not bewidely publicized. While the bulk of programming addresses food access, initiatives such as thePromise Scholar Program and enhancing needs-based funding do directly impact income forstudents. Some of the programs listed track program usage, however, this wasn’t available for allprograms and services. Other than Swipe it Forward, no specific demographic data has beencollected about the students who are utilizing many of these programs. Research states thatprograms such as food banks, cooking classes and budgeting programs only help to mitigate theimpacts of food insecurity, they do not directly address the problem.20 21 Programs that trulyreduce food insecurity address the root cause of poverty leading to food insecurity.While many of the programs and services offered on university campuses, including Queen’s, donot claim to solve food insecurity, they do play an important role in supporting students.Existing programs provide free food, teach budgeting and cooking skills, help create a sense ofcommunity and lead to increased awareness about food insecurity. They also help to raiseawareness about the available resources.Several U15 companion schools along with Humber College, George Brown College, and theUniversity of Guelph were selected as part of an external scan of programs and servicesaddressing student food insecurity. These schools were identified for review due to interesting ornotable work being done on their campus. The findings of this research are outlined in Appendix4.On October 30th, 2019, Queen’s sent a delegate to Hungry for Knowledge, a full day Roundtableon Food Insecurity Amongst Post-Secondary Students at Ontario Universities withrepresentatives from Lakehead University, Maple Leaf Foods, McMaster University, MealExchange, Nipissing University, Ryerson University, University of Guelph, University ofWaterloo, and Western University. There was Ontario-wide interest expressed by representativesin attendance about understanding student experiences of food insecurity, and effective20Huisken, A., Orr, S. K., & Tarasuk, V. (2016). Adults’ food skills and use of gardens are not associated withhousehold food insecurity in Canada. Can J Public Health, 107(6), e526-e532.21Loopstra, R., & Tarasuk, V. (2013). Perspectives on Community Gardens, Community Kitchens and the Good FoodBox Program in a Community-based Sample of Low income Families. 104(1), e55-e59.

10intuitional responses. There also was an interested in sharing the results of research projectsbeing conducted across the province.Food Insecurity Strategic Priority AreasThrough conversations with community partners and a review of relevant literature, the FoodInsecurity Working Group identified five strategic areas to help address food insecurity atQueen’s.EducationPolicySkill Building--EnvironmentCommunity Healthy campus communityStrategic Priority Areas:Education and AwarenessThrough conversations with campus partners it was highlighted that students were unaware ofthe resources and programs available on campus related to food access. Due to the stigmaassociated with food insecurity, and pressure to maintain an appearance of affluence, students areunlikely to reach out to formal resources and supports. Ensuring that information about options for food insecurity is available, accurate, up-todate, relevant, and easily accessible for studentsIt was also highlighted in meetings with campus partners that the issue of food insecurity atQueen’s is mostly invisible to those who do not experience it. Staff, faculty, and students are not

11aware that some students are having difficulty accessing food. By raising awareness about theissues of food insecurity on campus, more conversations can be facilitated around destigmatizingfood access. Raising awareness about the issue of food insecurity on Queen’s campus, and existingsupports available to students.EnvironmentIn order to address systemic causes of poverty leading to food insecurity, students require moreaccess to funding. Recent changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP) have resultedin a decrease in funding to both undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to the reductionin OSAP funding, graduate student funding for both international and domestic students iscurrently under review by the School of Graduate studies in order to determine if it providesstudents with enough money to cover all their expenses. Providing adequate funding to studentsPrograms like the People’s Potato Project (Concordia University), and the Queen’s Ban RighCenter’s free soup lunch programs were frequently mentioned in campus partner meetings whendiscussing how to address the gaps on campus related to food insecurity. Providing students withaccessible and healthy food will not solve the issues of food access that are associated with lackof funding and experiences of poverty, but it will mitigate experiences of moderate to severefood insecurity. Providing accessible, healthy food to studentsCommunityStigma and the invisibility of food insecurity on campus were highlighted in campus partnermeetings as barriers to addressing food access on campus. It was also frequently mentioned thatbecause students feel a need to maintain appearances with their peers, students who havedifficulty accessing food may also experience social isolation. Programs must also challengesocietal norms and stigma that surrounds food access at Queen’s. Challenging societal norms and stigmas that surround food insecurityCreating food programming that also creates a sense of belonging among studentsSkill BuildingAlthough budgeting and cooking programs do not address the systemic cause of food insecurity,they do help mitigate some experiences of moderate to severe food insecurity. The Queen’sHealthy Cooking Club has reached maximum capacity for all the classes offered in the 2019/20school year thus far, and the new Fresh Food Boxes from Health Promotion almost sold outwithin the first day of being offered. The popularity of these programs demonstrates that there isa student need for these programs. Offering these classes to the entire student population alsofollows a universal food security approach, where targeted food programs aim to addressuniversal access to food, and do not just target students who are more likely to experience food

12insecurity. These programs also must be mindful that they do not mask the real experiences offood insecure students. Providing students with opportunities to learn how to prepare healthy, affordable mealsfor themselves and their familiesProviding students with effective budgeting and food planning skillsPolicyResearch has demonstrated that being food insecurity affects students’ physical and mentalhealth, their grades, and causes higher stress levels. In recognition of an increasingly diversestudent body, and understanding the systemic causes of food insecurity, these issues must beconsidered as part of overall student wellness strategy. Ensure that food insecurity is considered in the development of key strategic policies andprograms related to studentsRecommendations:The following recommendations are made with the acknowledgement that there is no one-sizefits-all recommendation to address student food insecurity. It is also important to note that manyof these strategies straddle more than one strategic priority area.Education and Awareness Create a student food insecurity committee to monitor and report annually aboutcampus food insecurity. Terms of Reference and membership to be determined. Create and fund a Student Group Food Collective to promote collaboration amongstudent groups and with the student food insecurity committee. Terms of Referenceand membership to be determined. Develop a centralized databank of available resources and programs that address foodinsecurity leading to an enhanced communication strategy to raise awareness of thesesupports and services.Environment Continue to encourage evidence-based programing based on good and emergingpractices:o Programs serving hot, nutritious meals available to students at targeted,specific times (for example during exam season).o Providing free nutritious snacks in high traffic student areas, such as theJDUC, Mitchell Hall, and student facing offices Recommend a review of the model and operations of the AMS Food Bank andsupport it in addressing issues such as hours of operation, accessibility and stigma:o Support resources to increase the number of paid staff vs. a reliance onvolunteerso Support the continued imp

Food Literacy: is a set of attributes including food and nutrition knowledge, food skills, and confidence in food choices. 10 Food literacy contributes to enabling people to make good related 1 Anderson, S. A. (1990). Core indicators of nutritional state for difficult-to- sample populations. J Nutr, 120(11S), 1559-1600. 2