13% of students report going hungry because they did not have enough money for food. 24% of students report that they worry their food may run out before receiving the money to buy more.
Queen’s 2021 Student Experiences Survey
The impacts of food insecurity are widespread and can impact learning outcomes and social-emotional well-being. Providing Equal Access, Changing Hunger (PEACH) Market is a shared initiative between Student Affairs and the Alma Mater Society, complementing other food access programs on campus to support students, staff, and faculty, such as the AMS Food Bank, Swipe it Forward, and Fresh Food Boxes.
PEACH Market - Providing Equal Access, Changing Hunger
Mission: To nourish the Queen’s community by combatting food insecurity, supporting food recovery, and providing students, staff, and faculty with access to nutrition which fuels their fullest potential.
Values:
- Equality
- Inclusivity
- Dignity
- Sustainability
Vision: To create a sustainable, inclusive space that provides dignified and equitable access to nutritious food and removes the stigma around food insecurity on campus.
About
The market began as an eight-month pilot project in the of Fall 2022, distributing untouched food rescued from across Queen’s Hospitality Services to patrons in need.
5,734 meals were served during the pilot period and 6,063 during the 2023/24 academic term, illuminating the necessity for a campus resource of this nature. Student Affairs and the Alma Mater Society (AMS) have extended the partnership for another two-year term.
PEACH contributes to the University's goals for a sustainable and just future. It supports existing efforts to address food insecurity to advance work on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #2: Zero Hunger by rescuing untouched food from across campus and packaging it for equitable access to students, staff, and faculty.
How it works
As an inclusive and destigmatized space on campus to support vulnerable individuals' health and well-being, PEACH offers access to high-quality and nutritious food from across Hospitality Services’ locations that is packaged and sold at a low cost using an accessible 'pay what you can' operating model. A sliding scale model strives to uphold people's dignity and autonomy by offering customers tiered pricing for menu items at $1, $3, $5, or an open rate based on affordability.
Student volunteers proudly run the PEACH Market offering fresh daily menus for the campus community in the new Medical Building on Arch Street, open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 11 a.m. -2 p.m.
Hospitality Services will continue assisting community partners with addressing food insecurity in the Kingston area through regular food donations while distributing rescued food to the market.