STM College responds to growing student food insecurity

Walking into a building and being offered a free lunch doesn’t happen every day - more like every two weeks.

That’s the case at STM College (STM), anyway, where the 2024-2025 academic year saw the introduction of Souper Tuesdays at STM.

It was an initiative of the Student Experience Team, which is made up of employees from the various departments of the College that serve the needs of students, including Student Services, Campus Ministry, the Shannon Library and Engaged Learning.

“The whole reason for the free soup program is the pastoral care of students, which is our model here at the College,” said Richard Medernach, Manager of Student Experience and Enrolment. “One of the needs that has been really clear and present is food insecurity.”

“There are a lot of students struggling with affordability. And there are students who are not eating well because of that,” Medernach said. “That's always been a problem for some students, but it seems like it's a problem for a lot more students now.”

The precedent for serving a free, hot lunch was created when STM began partnering with the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Centre across the road to provide soup and bannock to students.

“Gordon Oakes has been doing this weekly for a long time now,” said Medernach. And we sponsor soup at Gordon Oakes a couple times a year. We saw the student response to that and we thought, well, maybe there's something we should be doing here as well.”

Thus, the soup and bun lunch at STM was born, and it immediately took off.

Every two weeks, except during the Christmas exam period and winter break, a selection of delicious soups was made available in the North Lobby for anybody walking through the building. And, of course, a bun and butter are a must with that kind of meal.

“People got used to the schedule and we would see them every two weeks,” said Medernach.

“We were limited more by our budget than student demand. We always gave out all of the soup and buns and never had food that didn't go out. And there are regulars.”

“People were waiting for it, and anticipating it, which is really cool. And the students were very appreciative.”

Medernach said a secondary benefit from the program was the familiarity created between STM College staff members who volunteered to serve the soup and the students.

Tuesday, March 25 was the last free soup and bun lunch for the year,

Over the course of the Fall and Winter terms, the Souper Tuesday program fed 1,664 hungry people, sending them on their way to class with a full tummy.

Medernach hopes to run the program again next year and notes the cost of living is only going to increase for students. He would love to see a donor step forward to help increase the frequency of the soup program.

“If more funds are available, we could look at increasing the frequency of them. But at the same funding level, we would come back with the biweekly schedule.”

For those in more dire need, or who may be facing a sudden financial emergency, STM College has donor-funded emergency bursaries. Declared STM students facing unexpected, acute financial need can visit the Main Office (STM 155) to find out about getting that help.

And while the crowd won’t be clamouring around the soup pots until at least September, for those with a rumbling stomach, STM also offers free snacks in the Main Office and the Shannon Library.

The Shannon Library snack program is made possible by ongoing support from STM alumni Art and Angeline Battiste and runs until the end of April. During the exam period it will even be supplemented.

“So, we'll have coffee and tea and fruit on offer, like normal, and then we'll also have things like cookies, granola bars, and Rice Krispie squares,” said Corinne Mathews, who runs the program with fellow library technician Amanda Gieni. “We're always happy to provide snacks for our students.”

Medernach says that kind of pastoral work is just what we do at St. Thomas More College.

“As our Associate Dean, Dr. Gerry Farthing, always says, we want students to be in the best possible position so that when they get to class, they're actually able to learn.”