Queens University students and Sodexho launch Soul Food to help those in need in Kingston

Kingston, ON - Delivering excess food portions from Queen's University residence dining halls to people in local street shelters, a coalition of Queen's students is working to raise awareness about Canadians living in poverty.

Soul Food, organizes volunteer students to pick up the excess food at 8:30 p.m., just after Queen's dining halls close and the local shelters open for the evening.

“The timing is perfect,” says Phil Sparks, Sodexho's Resident District Manager of Food Services at Queen's. “There is always some excess food when we close the dining halls. We wrap it, take a temperature check when the students arrive to pick it up, and it's at the shelter within a few minutes of leaving the dining hall.”

At no extra cost to students or the university, Soul Food promotes responsible food consumption by using food that might otherwise go to waste,.

Initiated by a group of students from Queen's Hillel and led by fourth-year students Sheri Krell and Tyler Peikes working with Queen's Outreach Coordinator Marija Linjacki, Soul Food made two trial runs last spring to the Street Mission Truck parked on the corner of Clergy and Princess Streets in Kingston's downtown.

“The response was so overwhelmingly positive we wanted to do it seven nights a week this year,” says Ms Krell, Soul Food Co-chair. 

Realizing the program would need more volunteers, Soul Food put out a call to Queen's clubs. “The response was great, with seven clubs committing immediately and several more considering a commitment,” she adds.

In addition to Hillel, student groups in the Soul Food coalition include: Queen's University Muslim Students Association, Students Helping Others Understand Tolerance, Students Against Indifference, Queen's Asian Focus, the United Way and Volunteer Crew of the Alma Mater Society's Municipal Affairs Commission, Arts and Science Undergraduate Society and students from Women's Studies Gender and Poverty class.

“We are extremely fortunate to have such a compassionate group of students pulling together to make a real difference in the fight against hunger, says Sparks. Our company formed the Sodexho Foundation in 2001 with the goal to STOP Hunger. As a part of this overarching initiative, our food services team at Queen's has participated in a number of hunger relief programs over the past few years.”

“When we were approach by Ms. Krell and Mr.Peikes with the Soul Food concept, it resonated with our food services team and our clients at Queen's. I see it as a model for what can be accomplished when students, education institutions and corporate Canada come together”.

While the program has a primary commitment to the Street Mission Truck where they deliver food first, the co-chairs maintain a list of Kingston shelters and take remaining food to a different one each night.

"Soul Food is making a difference to those who come to the Street Truck for food, warmth, and a sense of community," says Street Truck Mission Coordinator Darcy Izzard.

“This is a perfect example of how students and the university can have a positive impact on members of the community” says Bruce Griffiths, Director of Housing and Hospitality Services for Queen's. “It always seemed a shame that we had to throw out perfectly good food. “he said, “This program not only feeds people in need but also furthers our sustainability goals”.
 
The extended program which began on in late October delivers about 120 kgs of food, which is approximately 300 meals per week.

A Kingston Youth Shelter volunteer accepts food from Sheri Krell, co-chair of Soul Food.

Sodexho, Inc. is a leading integrated food and facilities management services company in the Canada, U.S. and Mexico, with $7.3 billion in annual revenue and 125,000 employees. Sodexho serves more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government and remote sites. Sodexho has been awarded the Gold level certificate for the progressive Aboriginal Relations program (PAR) with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB). The company's corporate citizenship priorities include fighting hunger and malnutrition, improving the quality of life of those served and protecting the environment.

Contact: Jon Kristjanson
VP Marketing and Communications, Sodexho
Executive Director, Sodexho Foundation
Email: jon.kristjanson@sodexhoCA.com
TEL: 877-632-8592 ext. 250