At the UOSU Food Bank, our mission is simple yet essential: to support undergraduate students at the University ofOttawa who are experiencing food insecurity. We understand the importance of access to nutritious food, and we are here to help students in need by providing essential food support.

Our Mandate

The UOSU Food Bank operates as a proud member of the Ottawa Food Bank’s network, where we are designated as a “food cupboard.” This role means we can provide students with a supply of groceries intended to last about one week. Our goal is to help students bridge the gap and ensure they have food when they need it most. For longer-term support, we guide students toward their community food banks, which are better equipped to provide month-long assistance.

How We Work

• One Visit Every 30 Days: Undergraduate students are welcome to visit the UOSU Food Bank once every 30 days for support.
• What to Bring: Please bring your student card and your own reusable bags.
• Walk-In Access: We operate on a walk-in basis during our opening hours, and no appointment is necessary.

Stay Updated

To stay informed about events, important updates, and exciting news from the food bank, join our email list to get updates directly in your inbox!
Sign up here!

You’ll receive notifications about:

• Changes to opening hours
• Unexpected closures or additional openings
• Upcoming events
• News and updates about food bank initiatives

Community Food Banks

Students will only be allowed to access the community food bank indicated by entering their postal code on the link below. They will not be allowed to get food in any other community food bank besides the one indicated by the one on the website. Undergrad Students can use both their community food bank and the UOSU food bank. Grad students are not allowed to use the UOSU food bank, but can use their community food banks to get supplies. ‍

• Gatineau residents ‍
• Ottawa residents ‍

Feedback

We’d love to hear about your experience with the food bank! Your feedback helps us improve our services and better serve the community. Share your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas for a better food bank experience. Click here to share your thoughts.

Volunteering

Interested in volunteering on campus and contributing to the student’s well-being? You’ve come to the right place!

As a volunteer at the Food Bank, you will be helping us out with our weekly deliveries, welcoming students in the food bank during our walk-ins, advertising our service during tabling, and many other fun and helpful tasks.  

How to become a volunteer at the food bank?

We will not be taking in any new volunteers for the remainder of the semester as our volunteer team for the Fall term is already complete. However, you’re welcome to join us for the Winter!

You’ll find our placement in the Community Engagement Navigator, under the Applications tab, on uOzone. To learn more on extracurricular volunteering, please check out this step-by-step guide, or watch this video.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact foodbank-volunteer@seuo-uosu.com

Our Volunteers At Work

Affordable Food Options Near uOttawa

As a student, managing your budget while ensuring access to nutritious food is essential. Here are some affordable grocery stores and free meal services near the University of Ottawa:

Affordable Grocery Stores

• GreenFresh: Known for low prices on a wide range of products.  ‍
• Food Basics: Offers competitive prices on groceries.  

Free Meal Services

• Ottawa Mission Food Truck: Provides free, nutritious meals in various Ottawa neighbourhoods.  ‍
• Food For Thought Ottawa: Distributes hot meals to low-income families and individuals.  

Student Discounts and Meal Programs

• Off-Campus Partners: Students can use their uOttawa card at multiple off-campus partner locations such as Food Frenz and 3 Brothers Shawarma & Poutine.  

Additional Tips

• Instacart: Offers same-day grocery delivery from various stores in Ottawa, which can be convenient during busy times.
• ‍RedFlagDeals: A platform where you can find the latest grocery flyers and deals in Ottawa.
• ‍Student Nutrition Program: Provides nutritious meals and snacks for children and youth, which may be beneficial for students with families.  

Free Food Alert

Sick of food waste? Same here. Sign up for Free Food Alert to end food waste and get notifications about free food giveaways on campus.  

Sign up for Free Food Alert using your uOttawa email address and learn more about our other food sustainability initiatives.