Sault food banks serving more and more international students

EDITOR'S NOTE: A version of this article originally appeared on SooToday on Oct. 3. It is being republished here for readers who may have missed it.

Agencies helping to address food insecurity in the Sault are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of international students at their doors — just as the university and college are celebrating an uptick in the number of international students being enroled in their programs.

In 2022, the Sault College and Algoma University student food banks took a combined 28,000 pounds of food from Harvest Algoma, a food security program operated by United Way. 

When the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre proposed taking over the program in the summer, it reached out to both Sault College and Algoma University for financial support to the tune of $20,000. That takeover takes effect on Tuesday.

In the end, the student unions at Sault College and Algoma University each made a $20,000 commitment this year from funding that comes from the union fees each student pays over and above their tuition. The university and college are not supporting the program financially, but will support it through partnerships, including experiential learning opportunities and co-op placements.

Sault College currently has 1,000 international students enroled at its main campus on Northern Avenue, from 30 countries around the world.

In 2019, the Ford government cut domestic tuition fees by 10 per cent across the province and many post-secondary institution responded by focusing more on attracting international students, who can pay tuition that is four times or more what an Ontarian student would pay.

In 2021, an Auditor General's report on Ontario colleges showed international students' tuition for that year accounted for more than 78 per cent of Sault College's total tuition revenue, versus just 12.7 per cent in the 2016/17 school year.

With an increase of that scale comes a jump in the number of international students who are facing food insecurity.

Food Pantry coordinator Gurwinder Chawla said the three-room, four-fridge student food bank at the Algoma University campus currently supports about 250 students per week. If you factor in family members or roommates, Chawla said the total number of people supported is likely closer to 400.

“Because of the rising number of students, it is a lot busier than usual,” said Chawla.

Students can come to the Food Pantry once per week and take a total of 10 items. Chawla said often roommates will come together and pick out items that will complement one another.

“It’s great that the students are helping each other in that way and we love to see those things,” he said.

Asked what responsibility the university has to support food security initiatives like Harvest Algoma —especially as the university increases the number of international students it attracts — president Asima Vezina said poverty is a community responsibility.

“We have a lot of people living in low-income housing, we have a lot of people living in poverty. That’s northern Ontario, sadly,” said Vezina. 

The student union’s support of Harvest Algoma adds to commitments already made by Social Services, Algoma Steel, the City of Sault Ste. Marie and others.

“I actually think we are going to be very successful. It’s not an international student problem, it is a whole community coming together to say how can we ensure that we are feeding everybody that is hungry?” said Vezina. “Our students are taking a leadership role in ensuring that pantry is always full.”

The university will contribute to Harvest Algoma in other ways, including co-op placements and internships. It has also offered to review and analyze the effectiveness of the partnerships and bring back recommendations.

Vezina acknowledged lines at the university’s Food Pantry have doubled.

“Yes, because we have more students coming and we don’t turn anybody away,” said Vezina. “We don’t ask a darn question. If you need a bag of groceries, come and get a bag of groceries.”

“Do I see anything different? Maybe longer lineups because there are double the number of students here, but am I seeing them have to go hungry? No I’m not. That makes me happy,” she added.

But judging by the number of international students in line for food at any number of local agencies that’s provide it, the supports offered by the university and college food banks are not enough.

SOYA founder Connie Raynor-Elliott told SooToday that international students are showing up more often in the organization's lineups for food and other supports, but many are also giving back as volunteers.

Clare Onwubuya is an international student from Nigeria currently attending Sault College’s Health Care Administration program. Also a volunteer at SOYA, Onwubuya said she sees many international students lining up for food and other supports.

“Before September we had fewer international students, but this month the inflow of international students has been so much — more than four or five [times] what we usually get, especially on Saturdays,” said Onwubuya.

She had a job as a pharmacist in Nigeria and saved money before leaving for Canada, but Onwubuya said those savings have not gone as far as she hoped after landing in Sault Ste. Marie.

“I am one of the very lucky ones because I have a job, I have good housing and a place I come to volunteer and I am happy,” said Onwubuya. “School is going perfectly well, but 80 per cent of the others can’t say that. It’s really heartbreaking, because you can’t help everyone.”

Fellow SOYA volunteer Rose Turingan is an international student from the Philippines studying Global Business Management at Sault College. She heard about the community support agency soon after arriving in the Sault last winter.

“The community here is really good, there is lots of help — food, clothing, shoes — it’s a good choice I decided to come to this area of Sault Ste. Marie,” said Turingan.

She said it's important for her to donate her time to the organization.

“That’s the thing, not just getting but I also want to experience sharing and helping other people. I know they need help here. I am happy to do it,” said Turingan.

Helping Hands is another organization that has seen an increase in the number of international students at its doors, said president Robert Peace.

“Despite the struggles they face, it’s heartening to see that these foreign students have become an essential part of our volunteer force at Helping Hands," said Peace. "Their resilience and willingness to contribute back to the community are truly admirable."

Peace hopes the university and college will address the disconnect between the recruiting of international students and the reality on the ground level.

"In Sault Ste. Marie, we’ve seen a growing number of foreign students arriving with high hopes but often unprepared for the harsh realities of accommodation costs, job availability, food and clothing costs and the soaring expenses of education," said Peace. "It’s a challenging situation that impacts both the students and our community resources.”