Following a shift in programming, classes will be offered again this semester
Photo by Hannah Link.
Cooking classes are returning to the Society for Students with a Disability (SSD) after the suspension of programming in May of 2024.
Certain opportunities centred around reimbursement such as the food security and funding request programs will remain suspended, said Marissa Donaldson, SSD Education and Administration Coordinator, in an interview with the Martlet.
Donaldson told the Martlet that the suspension, enacted ahead of SSD’s 2024–2025 budget, was in response to a pivot in financial planning due to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement stated that reimbursement programming and cooking classes would be suspended indefinitely.
Donaldson explained that the minimal cost of labour and programming associated with online school during the pandemic created a surplus of funds, which the SSD used to create reimbursement-based programming. That programming was intended as an interim replacement for in-person activities, she said.
Extra funds collected during that time from student fees went into a trust fund, which the SSD has used for the past four years to continue the COVID-19-based reimbursement funding, while also offering in-person programs.
“While doing our budget for this year, [we] realized that it was not sustainable financially to continue these reimbursement-based programs if we wanted to be able to continue offering other programming,” said Donaldson. “Something had to go.”
Instead of offering cooking classes last semester, the SSD piloted a monthly community dinner, said Donaldson. It was held in partnership with the Student Wellness Centre (SWC), and allowed community members to cook together informally.
Donaldson said that attendees enjoyed the events, but they requested that cooking classes return to the regular SSD programming schedule.
“Community dinners are wonderful and great; however, lots of those exist around,” she said. “What doesn’t exist is the opportunity to both skill-build and community-build at the same time.”
Donaldson is excited to bring back cooking classes this semester in conjunction with community dinners. “It’s the best of both worlds,” she added.
Classes are taught once monthly in the SWC by Dan Caron, a chef who works at the Student Union Building’s Health Food Bar, and who taught the cooking courses a year ago.
“[We are] super excited that we are able to reinstate this program, and continue on our journey of prioritizing community-based programs that can encapsulate lots of different students in a variety of ways,” Donaldson said.
Like last year, cooking classes will be available live online for those who feel more comfortable learning at home, or later in a video database on the SSD website, said Donaldson. This collection includes videos from the cooking classes held last spring.
Donaldson said that there was an overwhelmingly positive response to the classes. “This is something that we can do, and something that is sustainable for us to continue,” she said.
Lola Farago, a third-year student studying political science, is a board member of the SSD. She is an international student from Texas who developed a chronic illness in Grade 10, and found a sense of community at the SSD.
She is looking forward to attending the combined community dinner and cooking classes this semester. “I’m horrible at cooking, so it sounds amazing,” she told the Martlet.
Farago said that while she never accessed the reimbursement programming, she feels worried for those in her community who face food insecurity. She explained that many students with disabilities find going to school physically and mentally taxing, making additional employment difficult to manage.
“Finances can be a big struggle, and the UVic population at large probably feels that regardless, so I feel like [reimbursement] services are super vital,” she said, adding that she does understand why the SSD came to the decision to suspend these programs.
Donaldson noted that SSD members are disappointed by the suspension of reimbursement programming. As a beneficiary of the food security fund prior to working at the SSD, she understands what food insecurity can be like for disabled students.
“I know that our programs really benefited students, and it is regrettable that we had to close it down,” she said. “It goes to show how many students are experiencing food insecurity at this university.”
Donaldson and her team are currently working on developing a food security resource guide for students, which would include food banks and food-based programming in Victoria.
The first combined community dinner and cooking class was held this Tuesday at the SWC, and will be held monthly for the rest of the semester. Students can register on the SSD website or contact Marissa (edussd@uvic.ca) for more information.
