UVic food bank use rising

University of Victoria students are increasing seeking help from an emergency food bank run by the students' society, officials say. The food bank serves up to 300 students per week, with many showing up early in the week to pick up perishables such as bread and milk. "It's quite established as a service and we find it grows more and more every year," says a students' society executive. "We've been finding that usage continues to grow between seven and 10 per cent every year." She attributes the growing demand for the food bank to increasing student debt loads. "I think if we had more support for interest-free loans and grants for students going into post-secondary, we wouldn't see so many people in here and in such substantial debt." Victoria Times-Colonist