A Friendlier Approach to Tackling Food Insecurity

Friendlier is helping Humber to reduce its waste footprint by removing single-use packaging from landfills. Now, Humber is expanding that positive impact by utilizing Friendlier to tackle food insecurity at the College. 

Deposits from returned Friendlier containers can now be donated to the newly established Humber Student Food Security Fund. The Fund will help support students in the Humber community who are experiencing food insecurity by offering a subsidy equivalent to $5 per day* for food purchases at Humber. The available funds will be distributed to eligible students in need at the start of each term beginning in Fall 2024. 

To access the Fund, Care Coordinators from the Student Connection and Community Care team as well as Financial Aid Officers will work with students in need and connect them with available resources, including the Humber Student Food Security Fund. 

Food security is an issue that touches everyone. The opportunity to create a Humber-centric fund within the Friendlier app is powerful because it connects food as a fundamental right for all people. When choosing to purchase food on campus, the option to pay forward a meal on campus to another person in need of food is a meaningful way to build community consciousness through equitable access to food for all. 

How it works:   

  • Receive your on-campus meal in a Friendlier container and pay a $0.50 deposit  
  • Enjoy your meal and scrape what is left into the organics bin  
  • Scan the QR code on the back of the container using the Friendlier app  
  • Return your container to a blue Friendlier collection bin (available throughout food service areas, and main hallways)  
  • Instead of redeeming your deposit, choose to donate the proceeds to the Humber Student Food Security Fund right within the Friendlier app (download on Apple or Android) 

If you are interested, you can also make a donation directly to the Humber Student Food Security Fund or support this fund through convenient payroll deductions.

If you have any questions about the Humber Student Food Security Fund or how you can help make a difference, contact Jacqueline Morgan at jacqueline.morgan@humber.ca or Melissa Beauchamp at melissa.beauchamp@humber.ca. If you have any questions about the Friendlier container program, please email sustainability@humber.ca. 

*The funds are calculated based on a five-day school week. Therefore, the subsidy will be the equivalent of $25 per week for the duration of each term.