Bites and Bytes: An Investigation of Virtual Food Programming during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cooking with Grammas programming at Queen’s University was moved online. Following the initial success of the program, a second cooking program, Cooking with Chaplains, was started in the fall of 2020. In these programs, students joined together with the hosts (Grammas or Chaplains, respectively) to cook and eat a meal together over Zoom. These programs aim to address student food insecurity and illiteracy, and a lack of community on campus. In my thesis, I investigate the two programs in conversation with literature related to care and geographies of care, food and wellbeing, and the creation of the self in virtual space. I analyze 14 interviews from both leaders and participants of the Cooking with… programming. Ultimately, I found that the Cooking with… programming was an essential tool for international students navigating Kingston’s foodscapes for the first time; however, the biggest impact of the program was to provide community and a sense of connection during the pandemic. I conclude my thesis with four recommendations for others looking to run similar programs in the future: investigate hybrid programming options, provide a consistent format, demonstrate openness, and consider how to provide care to the leaders themselves.