Food for Fines: It counts for hunger

Nearly 850,000 Canadians turn to food banks every month, according to the 2014 HungerCount survey. Here in Victoria, in time for a holiday season of giving, two initiatives on the UVic campus will help fill local food-bank shelves. The annual Food for Fines program offers relief from library fines and parking tickets in exchange for non-perishable food items, which are then donated to the Mustard Seed Food Bank and the UVic Student Society’s Food Bank.

The Campus Security Services campaign will reduce a parking citation by $5 with the donation of one non-perishable food item. (It is one discount per citation.) The UVic Libraries campaign will discount fines by $2 for each non-perishable food item, to a maximum of $20. (Library users may also pay for their fines by diverting up to $20 of the money to Mustard Seed as a donation.)

What: Food for Fines – UVic Campus Security Services
When: From Nov. 17 through Dec. 12, 2014
Where: The security building is open during regular office hours from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays and 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Fridays. Location: uvic.ca/maps.

What: Food for Fines – UVic Libraries
When: From Nov. 17 through Dec. 12, 2014
Where: Donations can be brought to three libraries on campus: the McPherson Library (Mearns Centre for Learning), the Curriculum Library (MacLaurin Building) and the Diana M. Priestly Law Library (Fraser Building). Hours and locations: uvic.ca/library/locations/.