Room: SUB B005
Phone: 250-472-4999
Email: foodbank@uvss.ca
The UVSS Food Bank, created by the UVSS, supports UVic students facing food insecurity. If you’re struggling to find enough to eat, you’re not alone—many university students experience food insecurity. We’re here to help you access the resources you need.
We provide a variety of perishable and non-perishable foods, personal hygiene supplies, and information about additional resources in Victoria. Here’s a snapshot of what you can typically find at the UVSS Food Bank:
Students must be an active UVic student in order to access the food bank.
Students must fill out the Food Hamper Request Form by Fridays at noon (12pm) to be included in the pick-up schedule for the following week.
Please ensure you come to the Food Bank & Free Store only at your confirmed appointment time.
To access our services, present a valid ONECard at the time of hamper pick-up. This is mandatory and ensures confidentiality. Each visit will require:
You must collect food for yourself. The student indicated on the ONECard must be present for the first visit of the term. If you need someone else to pick up food on your behalf for the rest of the term, inform the check-in staff of the names of your authorized individuals and ensure they bring their own ID at the time of pick-up.
If you cannot pick up a hamper due to a disability, we are piloting a limited delivery service. Fill out the form to determine eligibility. Note that completing the form does not automatically register you for delivery; eligibility will be assessed, and you will receive confirmation.
Students are eligible for a single-sized food hamper. If you need a family-sized food hamper, you must show proof of dependents.
The UVSS Food Bank is a student-run service funded primarily by student fees, however our success depends heavily on donations from the community.
Your donation to the UVSS Food Bank & Free Store provides students with basic food and necessities while working to eliminate the stigma around accessing food banks.
Access to nutritious food is a key element of mental and physical health, and the UVSS Food Bank & Free Store is a crucial resource for UVic students.
Online Donations
To make an online donation to the Student Food Bank, please click on the button below. All donations made through the online giving page will receive a tax receipt.
Food Donations
Drop-Off: Donate non-perishable items via our donation box located outside the UVSS Food Bank (SUB Room B005 – Basement). This box is available anytime the SUB Building is open.
Large or Perishable Donations: For large quantities of food that won’t fit in the donation box or perishable items, please contact us at foodbank@uvss.ca to arrange a donation time.
We are located in the basement of the Student Union Building (next to The Martlet) on the UVic campus. The space is accessible from the stairs and elevator.
By appointment only.
Hours subject to change week-to-week.
Interested in volunteering? We are always looking for new volunteers! Apply here !!
You can also find out more by emailing us at foodbank@uvss.ca.
The UVSS Food Bank & Free Store is run by a team of dedicated staff and volunteers and offers all UVic students access to food essentials and free household items.
With the rising costs of tuition, housing, childcare, and food, we do what we can to provide essential support to undergrad and grad students. Extra resources are available for students supporting families.
Every week, hundreds of UVic students come to the Food Bank & Free Store. To learn more about how to support our service, scroll down to the ‘Donating’ section.
Students can drop by the UVSS Food Bank & Free Store during posted drop-in hours. All services are totally confidential and all current UVic students are welcome to use this service.
Looking for other support networks in the Greater Victoria area? Check out our resource guide for other food banks, free meals, and more.
The UVSS Food Bank and Free Store is a community space that supports students by supplementing basic food and other supplies and works to eliminate the stigma surrounding accessing food banks.
Our service strives to create a safer space by acknowledging our trespassing on Lekwungen & WSANEC lands, continually learning and unlearning alongside UVSS advocacy groups, and responding to the needs of students. For more information, please read our Community Guidelines/Safer Spaces policy.
We advocate for and represent our members’ voices by providing them with services, events, and safer inclusive community spaces.
Our hamper delivery service is made possible through our partnership with Fateh Care Charity. Students who are unable to visit our office at the Student Union Building can avail of this service by filling out the Hamper Delivery Eligibility Form.
Contact our Food Bank & Free Store Officers by emailing foodbank@uvss.ca or calling us at 250-472-4999.