Second-year PhD student Alexe Indigo confronts the issue of food security every day. Indigo is the manager of the Agricultural Campus鈥檚 Food Pantry, which provides students with access to a variety of nutritious food items including fresh produce, dairy and eggs, and shelf-stable food.
Indigo says that in recent years, resources like the Food Pantry and the Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) Food Bank in Halifax are essential in supporting the campus community.
Rising food costs contributing to increased demand
According to Statistics Canada, the overall price of food in Nova Scotia in September increased by 4.1 per cent over the same month last year. Indigo has been with the Food Pantry since 2022 and says the number of students using the service every month has quadrupled.
鈥淭he need has grown exponentially,鈥� says Indigo. 鈥淭imes are tough, and we鈥檝e seen that reflected in the number of students using the Food Pantry.鈥�
Alexe Indigo.
DSU President Maren Mealy says the DSU Foodbank, which serves students at Dal鈥檚 Halifax campuses and the University of King鈥檚 College, has also seen significant increases in the number of student visits. Last year, Mealy says the DSU Food Bank had more than 6,700 student visits, and the demand is expected to increase.听
Bringing the community together for Giving Tuesday
On Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2, 2025), Dalhousie is rallying the community to raise funds for the听, which provides critical support for Dal鈥檚 two student-run food banks. This year, in partnership with the J&W Murphy Foundation, the goal is to raise $50,000 to support students facing food insecurity.
Shown left: Lisa Murphy.
鈥淓ach Giving Tuesday, we stand with student-led food banks across Nova Scotia because hunger shouldn鈥檛 be a barrier to learning,鈥� says Lisa Murphy (BA鈥�88, LLB鈥�92) on behalf of the J&W Murphy Foundation. 鈥淲ith over half of Canada鈥檚 post-secondary students reporting food insecurity, a province-wide, all-campus campaign pulls institutions together to show students they鈥檙e not facing this crisis alone.鈥�
On December 2, donors can triple the impact of their gifts to the听听thanks to generous matching gifts provided by J&W Murphy and a loyal Dalhousie alum.
Jo Galarneau, President of the Dalhousie Alumni Association (DAA), says Giving Tuesday is a wonderful opportunity for Dal alumni to unite and ensure students have the opportunity to thrive.
鈥淥ur alumni deeply understand the pressures current students encounter as they strive to build a better tomorrow,鈥� says Galarneau, shown right. 鈥淕iving Tuesday demonstrates the commitment of our alumni and the entire Dalhousie community in fostering opportunities and hope for students. No student should have to choose between food and their future.鈥�
Galarneau says DAA board members have challenged themselves to amplifyThe Food Security Project among their networks and she hopes other Dal alumni will help to make this year鈥檚 Giving Tuesday the most impactful one yet.
Giving Tuesday creates a meaningful impact for Dal students
Indigo says donor support for the Food Security Project has enabled the Truro/Bible Hill Food Pantry to keep food on the shelves and purchase the necessary equipment to expand capacity.
Indigo says that this year鈥檚 funds will allow the Food Pantry to meet the increased demand and help create new educational programs to address some of the barriers to student food security.听
Mealy says with donor support, the DSU Food Bank hopes to develop a food preparation station equipped with a sink and washing basin, enabling the facility to bulk purchase food and reduce expenses. Mealy says they also hope to establish secure food drop-off sites across campus, where people can donate shelf-stable food outside of the food bank鈥檚 hours of operation.
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