The SMU Community Food Room is overflowing with generosity after this year’s Food Drive Competition!
Team members from the So-bee School - Hive Mind accept their top place trophy for the annual Food Drive Competition
Thank you to the dedicated faculty, staff, and alumni who participated in the annual Food Drive Competition hosted by the Alumni Office. Together, twelve teams helped pack the shelves with 2,563 lbs of food for the SMU Community Food Room—making a meaningful difference for students in need.
Congratulations to this year’s winner: The So-bee School Hive Mind! Their collaboration and commitment truly set the bar, earning them top honours in this year’s campus-wide challenge by donating the most food by weight, plus the items most needed by our students. Following closely in second place, the EntrepreNOURISHship team also brought incredible energy and enthusiasm to the competition.
Food Room volunteers stock the shelves with donations
Thank you to the faculty, staff, and alumni who generously contributed financial items during the competition. Your support allows the SMU Community Food Room to purchase essential items as needed.
Donations are welcome year-round, and members of the SMU community can contribute at any time—with tax receipts available for gifts made here.
"This year’s food drive was more than a competition; it was a powerful reflection of what’s possible when a community comes together with purpose,” said Yusupha Njie, Community Food Room Coordinator.
“I’m deeply moved by the generosity shown across campus and incredibly proud of how each department stepped up to support students facing food insecurity. My heartfelt thanks go to SMU Alumni for organizing this vital initiative, and to the dedicated volunteers of the SMU Community Food Room. Your behind-the-scenes work–coordinating, sorting, and lifting every pound of food we received made this success possible. Together, we did not just collect food; we strengthened a community of care."
Thank you to all the departments that came together to contribute to the success of the Annual Food Drive Competition:
The SMUSA Bread Winners – SMUSA
EntrepreNOURISHship – Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre
It's All Gravy – Facilities Management
Snack Pack – Alumni/Development
Rock and Enroll – Enrolment Services
The Grocery Bags – External Affairs
Bits & Bytes – EIT
The So-bee School - Hive Mind – Sobey Dean's Office, BComm Advising, Accounting, Economics, FISMS, Management and Marketing
Sarty and the Side Kicks – Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research
All Stuff, No Fluff – People & Culture
SAAS team – Student Affairs and Services
The 42 Crew: Understanding life, the universe and everything – Science Faculty staff
About the Food Room
The SMU Community Food Room is the on-campus food bank for the Saint Mary’s University community. It is a partnership with SMUSA and Student Affairs and Services and is operated by student volunteers. Their goal is to offer access to safe, nutritious, and culturally acceptable foods in a welcoming environment. In collaboration with Feed Nova Scotia, they work to improve food security, food equity, and food literacy on our campus.
Between May 2024 and April 2025, 4,051 appointments were booked at the food room, an increase of nearly 200 pick-ups over the previous year.