**NORTHERN COLLEGE NEWS RELEASE**

As we enter the holiday season, both Northern College and its Student Association are reaching out to the community of Timmins to help meet a growing need being identified on campus.

Members of Northern College’s student association volunteer their time to create inclusive, relationship and camaraderie building activities throughout the school year, hosting pub nights and potlucks alongside operating a campus food bank.

This semester, the Student Association is struggling to keep up with the demand being placed on its food bank.

“I would have to say that usage has gone up by at least fifty per cent,” said Northern College Student Association President Taylor Purdy. “Every Thursday and Friday since September, I’ve been coming to the College after hours to make bags of food for students.”

The food is going out quicker than it’s coming in and despite efforts to encourage students to donate food as part of the admission price to NCSA events; the group simply can’t keep up.

“The budget that NCSA has should be going towards experiences and activities for the students, not filling the food bank,” said Purdy. “That’s what I’m starting to see, we’re having to use our budget to go do a shopping trip so that it is consistently full.”

Community food banks can be difficult for some students to access, often asking for proof of residency and income. With the high number of international students attending the Timmins campus, these traditional avenues may not be an option.

“We don’t judge, we don’t ask for anything from them, we don’t ask them to prove that they need it, we trust in the students reaching out to us are showing a true need,” said Purdy.

As the semester draws to a close, the NCSA is concerned that some students will be left without over the holiday break. College staff are developing fundraising initiatives to help meet the need.

“Our students work very hard to accomplish their learning goals. In order to achieve these goals, they often suffer financial hardship,” stated Audrey Penner, Vice President of Academic and Student Success. “Many of our learners are single parents as well, increasing the pressures they feel at this time of year. At Northern College, the community spirit of giving is manifested so we can help those who are so valiantly trying to help themselves.”

Northern College remains committed to the wellbeing of its students, working to ensure both a happy and healthy learning environment and a positive post-secondary experience.

Filed under: Local News