September 04, 2018 – The Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union is launching the most exciting stage of the Hungry for Choice campaign. After two years of building the case for the important connection between food and community, students, faculty, and staff will have their say on the next campus food service contract.

“We know that TRU is hungry for choice” said Tatiana Gilbert, President of the Students’ Union, “With the combined efforts of our community over the past two years, we have earned a chance to have that choice.”

The Hungry for Choice campaign was first launched in September 2016, in response to student calls for improved food service in the Student Budget Consultation. It aimed to transform the food service system by introducing competition to provide consumer power over price, quality, variety, hours, and more. The first ever campus food truck festival was held to demonstrate the benefits of variety and options, and hundreds of community members offered signatures of support to a petition for more. By December 2016, the university administration agreed to allow food trucks to regularly serve the campus, along with other commitments such as longer hours, more options, and better nutritional information.

“Together, we had made progress on food service in 2016,” Gilbert continued, “but the Student Budget Consultation results continued to show there was more work to do.”

In 2017, the Hungry for Choice campaign seized upon a unique opportunity to rethink the future of food at TRU. The vast majority of food services at TRU are provided by one contracted company, but after a five-year term the current contract would expire in April 2018. The campaign set a new target to ensure that everyone would have a voice in any new or renewed contract. Our community rallied, and the campaign presented 1,691 petition signatures, 89 personal messages, and 28 campus group endorsements to the TRU Board of Governors requesting a full consultation on the food service contract. Happily, the Board listened to its community and a food service consultation was won.

“This September, we are excited to invite you to share your food experiences, needs, and ideas in the TRU food service consultation,” Gilbert concluded, “I encourage every member of the campus community sign up to participate. Now is our chance.”

Over 1,600 members of our community are taking action. To sign up for updates and invitations to participate, visit trusu.ca/hungry-for-choice.

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