It’s no secret that the rising cost of living is hitting many Canadians hard, especially at the grocery store .

It’s why the Student Association at Red Deer Polytechnic in central Alberta is serving up something special: a pay-what-you-can meal option at the school’s Far Side cafe.

Anyone can order soup, pasta, or rice and choose to donate what they can afford, or take a free lunch.

“I'm a single parent and sometimes, you have to choose between buying your child's food versus what I can eat,” said student association president Jacq Patterson.

The program started in 2020, when the association noticed that the cost of groceries and studies squeezed students.

Edmonton's campus food bank programs seeing unprecedented demand

Patterson said now the meals sell out almost daily.

“We've

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