Page 12 - ECF-LIA-Nov-DEC-2023-F2

12 LEGACY IN ACTION
ernanda Talarico loves organizing and sorting
food items as a volunteer with the Campus Food
Bank at the University of Alberta, where she’s
a PhD student about to graduate. But it’s also rewarding
because she’s giving back to a program that helped her
and her husband when they first arrived as international
students from Brazil in 2019.
“We didn’t know anything about Canada. I wish we had
like a Canada 101 type of thing,” says Talarico.
It was a surprise when they needed a deposit for
their apartment on top of rent, and they struggled with
budgeting for skyrocketing food prices. But the Campus
Food Bank provided immediate relief, especially in the
form of basics like rice, beans and tomato sauce. The couple
also didn’t know where to find inexpensive food.
Piece of the Puzzle
The Campus Food Bank is expanding its programs to help increase
students’ food security, giving them energy to focus on their studies
by Caroline Barlott | photography Mat Simpson
F
Fernanda Talarico
and Erin O’Neil at the
Campus Food Bank