SAMU Pantry – Add to Your Cabinets

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THE PANTRY

Provided to MacEwan Students by the Students’ Association of MacEwan University

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PANTRY UPDATES

ON HOLD – What does this mean?
What does this mean? On Hold is when a hamper request has not met the requirement of the 10 days rule. Students will receive an email that their hamper request has been switched to “On Hold” and will explain the following: What is the 10… Read More »ON HOLD – What does this mean?
Pantry Open – September 2024
Happy fall term! The Pantry is officially open and hampers are able to be requested! The Support Hub will be open from 9:00am-4:30pm Monday to Friday for the Fall term for pickups or any questions you may have regarding SAMU and the services available. If… Read More »Pantry Open – September 2024
Bag Policy Reminder
Bags within the pantry This is a reminder of a previous update sent out earlier this month: Going forward starting in the Fall 2024 term, The Pantry will only be supplying bags for students with their first request. This is to minimize, and to allocate… Read More »Bag Policy Reminder

ALL UPDATES

ADD TO YOUR CABINETS

BUILD A HAMPER TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR GROCERIES

The SAMU Pantry offers a confidential hamper for students that is accessible up to twice a month with a choice of non-perishables and/or household items. The SAMU Pantry strives to accommodate all dietary needs.

The pantry is available to all MacEwan Students with proof of a valid student ID at pick up.

** Hampers are not provided to replace personal grocery shopping, they are to be used as support with your grocery haul **

GET STARTED

Frequently Asked Questions

WHO IS THIS SERVICE FOR?

The SAMU Pantry is for MacEwan University Students who pay SAMU fees during the current semester. As a SAMU member, you are eligible to receive a hamper from The Pantry up to twice per month.

DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS SERVICE?

For eligible MacEwan students, there is no cost to you to pick up a hamper. We unfortunately can not offer support to other students or community members.

DO I NEED TO USE MY STUDENT EMAIL?

Yes. If you do not use your MacEwan student email, you are not eligible for a hamper, and your request will be cancelled.

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY QUESTIONS TO REGISTER?

These are the required questions for our systems and our demographic information. This is in line with all other food support services within Canada. The questions themselves are required to answer - however there is the option within the question to opt. out of answering.

ARE THERE MAXIMUMS OF WHAT I CAN PUT IN MY HAMPER?

Yes. To be able to serve all MacEwan students, we have limits on all items. There are limits set up per item within the product description. Please do not select more than what is listed as the limit. You will only receive the limit, anything over the limit will be removed. There is also a one-hamper limit which is a little more difficult to judge when ordering online. Volunteers are trained with this in mind and will remove items that are requested in multiples where possible if the order can not fit in one bag or bin.

I HAVE REGISTERED FOR AN ACCOUNT WHY AM I STILL UNABLE TO SIGN IN?

With our system we need to approve all new users before they will be able to sign into their account. This is to prevent misuse of the service. Please wait up to 4-5 business days for account approvals, you will receive your status through the email you provided. During our high volume intake months it can take up to 6-7 business days.

ARE THERE ANY FRESH FOOD OPTIONS?

Currently, we are unable to supply students with perishable items such as meat, eggs, or fresh fruit and vegetables.

WHERE CAN I PICK UP MY HAMPER?

Once you have requested your hamper and received an email that your hamper is ready to be picked up, hampers can be picked up at the Support Hub (SA-223, the door is down the hall that is beside the vending machines on the second floor of the SAMU building between building 8 and 9).

DO I NEED MY STUDENT ID TO PICK UP MY HAMPER?

Yes. To pick up your hamper, you must show your Student ID card to the front desk in the Support Hub (SA-223).

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH MY PERSONAL INFORMATION?

All personal information is confidential. The demographic information is recorded in metrics to better serve the students of MacEwan University.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? “BEST BEFORE” vs. EXPIRY DATES

You will find items containing a “best before” date in your hamper. Best Before dates are set up by the manufacturer and are really about freshness, not food safety. Packaged food such as crackers, cookies, cereals and canned foods can be safely eaten long after the best-before date. Details about food and date labelling are available on the Health Canada website and Food Banks Alberta Safe Food Handling procedures. Expiry dates are not the same as best-before dates. They only apply to certain foods with strict compositional and nutritional specifications, such as baby food, infant formula, meat and milk. Our staff and volunteers are trained to check labels on all food items donated to the Pantry.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT PICK UP MY HAMPER WITHIN THREE BUSINESS DAYS?

If you do not pick up your hamper within three business days, then volunteers will cancel your hamper and place your items back on the shelf. This means that your hamper will no longer be available. This is to support food waste. Many students use the SAMU Pantry, and this process also helps circulate our stock. If you need more time to pick up you must email us and let us know.

Pick-Ups

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

You must show your STUDENT ID when picking up your hamper
Hampers are to be picked up at SA-223 (The Support Hub). It is down the hall by the vending machines on the second floor of the SAMU building (Between building 9 and building 8).
If you do not pick up your hamper within 3 business days of receiving your “Hamper Ready for Pick-up” email, your hamper will be cancelled.
If you cannot pick up the hamper within the 3 business day window, please immediately email us at either safoodsupport@macewan.ca or kelma2@macewan.ca.