Community Food Room

About the SMU Community Food Room

The SMU Community Food Room is the on-campus food bank for the Saint Mary’s University community. Our goal is to offer access to safe, nutritious, and personally acceptable foods in a welcoming environment. In collaboration with Feed Nova Scotia, we work to improve food security, food equity, and food literacy on our campus.

Book an appointment

The SMU Community Food Room is open year-round and is operating by appointment only.

• Users may book an appointment once per week (Monday - Friday).
• We open appointments every Monday at 11:30 a.m., and aim to open more appointments periodically throughout the week, so check back often.
• We only open appointments for a week at a time. If it says, "no available appointments", we are fully booked at that moment, but check back often as more appointments may become available throughout the week.
• If you cannot make your scheduled appointment time, please contact us as soon as possible, so that we can release that slot to someone else who is available. Check back often, as we may add appointments throughout the week based on volunteer availability.
• If you cannot find an available appointment time, please let us know by contacting food.room@smu.ca so we can make other arrangements.

Important: Thursday Appointments

• Reserved exclusively for current SMU students.
• A valid and current SMU student number is required.
• Students must pick up their own food; appointments made for others will be canceled.

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What to Expect When You Visit

• Bring your Student ID and appointment confirmation—you will be asked to show it to a volunteer.

• Bring your own grocery bags.

• Each visit requires a new appointment with a valid Student ID.

• Be kind – our Food Room is run by volunteers who generously give their time to support the community.

• As a donation-based food bank, item availability may vary. We aim to always stock:

  • Protein (canned or fresh)

  • Grains

  • Dairy

  • Vegetables and fruit (canned or fresh)

  • Let us know about dietary needs, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

Eligibility

The SMU Community Food Room is primarily intended for Saint Mary’s University students. Due to high demand, we have implemented these guidelines to ensure fair and effective access.

Students from other local institutions may use the Food Room by presenting a valid student ID but may have more limited access.

If you're not a student, we encourage you to explore community resources like NS211 for food assistance and support services.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work together to support the SMU community.

For more information, email: food.room@smu.ca

Do you have suggestions for the SMU Community Food Room? Submit the online feedback form with suggestions for food room items and ideas for events and programming!

The Community Food Room thanks supporters for their generous contributions. Your donations are helping to improve food security in the SMU Community and beyond. Questions about donations can be directed to food.room@smu.ca.

Food donations can be dropped off at SMUSA (501 Student Centre) or Student Affairs and Services (301 Student Centre) during business hours, which are typically Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Right now, our desired food donations include: cooking oil, frozen meat, rice, canned or dried legumes, and canned vegetables. 

We accept monetary donations, these can help us purchase perishable foods such as milk, eggs, meats.