How would you recognize a silver anniversary? With a gift? A thank you? Perhaps a celebration? If you are anyone who has been touched by the Campus Food Bank, either as a volunteer, a board member, or a client, then you'll likely do all of the above.
Next week, the Campus Food Bank will be hosting anniversary events to thank the U of A community for their 25 years of support. The week will include presentations, Giving Tuesday, The Fast and The Studious fast-a-thon, a free Mac & Cheese Giveaway, and a wrap up party.
In honour of their time on campus, here are 15 things you might not have known about the Campus Food Bank:
1. Although we now know it as "Campus Food Bank" it was originally known as the "GSA Food Bank."
2. The Campus Food bank (or as it was known then, the GSA Food Bank) opened on November 22, 1991.
3. There were 15 clients served on opening day.
4. Like the Edmonton Food Bank, the Campus Food Bank was the first of its kind in Canada.
5. Before "Trick or TrEAT!" (which sees volunteers collect non-perishable food items and toiletries from the local neighbourhood on Halloween), groups like Safewalk, the Star Trek Club, the Sexual Assault Centre, and Lambda Chi Alpha carried out similar donation drives for the Food Bank that they described like trick or treating for adults.
6. The CFB's annual Power Play Cup was the brainchild of the 2007 CFB Stats Committee. After a math session, the committee came up with the idea of hosting a futsal tourney to raise awareness about food insecurity and the need for donations.
7. The winners of the CFB's first Power Play Cup were the proud recipients of the Power Play Cup Trophy and white t-shirts that displayed the CFB logo on the front and the words "kick me" on the back.
8. In 2012 the Campus Food Bank moved from its former location in the lower level of SUB to its current home on the main floor next to the elevators. The move provided the service with more room for storage.
9. The Campus Food Bank hands out more than just food, they also hand out toiletries like diapers.
10. One third of the Campus Food Bank's clients are children.
11. During the Fort McMurray fires, the Campus Food Bank acted as a donation depot. They delivered non-perishable food items to the evacuees who were staying in Lister Hall.
12. The CFB's motto is "hunger for knowledge, not food."
13. The Campus Food Bank supports green living through their partnership with Sponsor Energy, an energy-conservation and green living initiative.
14. A 2017 student referendum saw the student body pledge further support for the CFB through the introduction of an approved a $1 fee to be charged per term.
15. In March 2017, the CFB hosted their first charity hockey game. Featuring the Panda's Hockey Team and the Golden Bear's Football Team, the event raised over $1900.
Learn more about the Campus Food Bank and their 25th anniversary celebration week by visiting the Campus Food Bank website.