Thousands of packages of leftover food at Saint Francis Xavier University are helping feed those in need in Antigonish.
Meals, made for students at St. FX, have been delivered to the Antigonish Community Fridge since a partnership with Sodexo started just over a year ago.
General Manager of Sodexo, Tim Hierlihy tells our newsroom it began with a challenge, through a grant they received to come up with a solution to stop food from becoming waste and get it into the community.
“We targeted to do about 8,000 meals in the first year, which actually happened. Then, we kept going from there. Now, we’ve hit that 13,000 mark.”
Hierlihy says the whole idea is that the program runs with the food they already have.
“We serve close to 2,000 meals a day here. Inevitably we are going to end up with some leftover food. For us to find a way to package that and get it into the community is a win for everybody.”
And packaging, he says, is really the only extra cost.
Photo: Antigonish Community Fridge
The idea is welcomed
Sodexo has been preparing food for St. FX for about 30 years.
When they reached out to the Antigonish Community Fridge in 2023 about the circular food initiative, it was really well received.
Organizer and volunteer from the community fridge, Catherine McPherson tells us they were all in.
“We were really surprised and happy with it because we were hoping that we’re getting more businesses on board…like a sponsorship with different businesses that once a month or once a week, they would supply groceries or do something. Then with Sodexo just approaching us, it was really, really exciting.”
McPherson says the food that also goes to the farmers market and local library, gets picked up about once a week -and it goes quick.
“A lot of the times, the meals… you put them in there and within a few minutes…within an hour… most of the stuff is gone.”
Photo: Antigonish Community Fridge/Facebook
McPherson says, thanks to the Antigonish Farmers Market, the project is able to be as successful as it is, providing freezer and storage space as well as access to the kitchen.
Wanting to expand
Sodexo is looking into getting more funding so they can continue the project.
Hierlihy says they are thinking about more opportunities.
“We’ve proposed that we can expand to a point that we can start working with other retailers to take their potential waste product and do the production of food and get it packaged for the community fridge to increase the output.”
He says they would like to see the project go on for years to come.
