Feeding hope: How NSCC employee Trena Hall supports student food security
NSCC Foundation's Seasons of Giving: Food for All Fall Campaign
Her full-circle journey at NSCC
Born and raised in Halifax, Trena Hall is the eighth of nine children, a wife, a proud mother of seven adult children, and Glam-Glam to three beautiful granddaughters. Her NSCC story began in 2010. After 23 years away from the classroom, she returned to school at NSCC's Akerley Campus, where she completed the Adult Learning and African Canadian Transition Programs and earned her Adult High School diploma in one year. She went on to graduate from the Office Administration program at the IT Campus in 2012.
Just a year later, Trena returned to NSCC, this time as an employee. “I can’t put into words how it felt to park in ‘staff’ parking when just a year before I was a student,” she says. Over the past decade, she’s held roles across multiple campuses and departments. Today, she’s a full-time Administrative Professional in the School of Trades and Transportation and is giving back to NSCC students when they need it most.
Fighting food insecurity, one meal at a time
In the 2023 Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey, 53% of NSCC students reported low or very low food security. Having experienced food insecurity in the past, Trena is a passionate volunteer for food security initiatives at the College. “I know what food insecurity feels like — physically and mentally,” she says. "So anything with fighting food insecurity, giving back and reassuring students that they’re not alone is a yes for me."
She is a committee member and volunteer with the Food for Thought program at NSCC’s IT Campus, which has served nearly 15,000 meals as of July 2025, by providing weekly free lunches and snacks to students facing food insecurity. Her office is one of several snack stations across campus, and she’s seen firsthand how much this support matters. “We’ve had students choosing between buying groceries and getting to school. That really puts things into perspective,” she says.
In addition to Food for Thought, she has supported student food security at IT Campus by donating to and fundraising for the campus’s food pantry, noting that her department has won three consecutive friendly food drive competitions. She has also volunteered for Iga’taqan, the Reconciliation Community Garden at IT Campus, among other initiatives. “There’s a real sense of community when people come together for a common cause,” says Trena.
Support student food security this fall at NSCC
As a part of NSCC Foundation’s Seasons of Giving: Food for All Fall Campaign, our goal this fall is to raise $10,000 for Rapid Response to support student food security at the College, just like Trena does.
For those considering donating to Rapid Response or volunteering their time to support an NSCC Campus Food Security Initiative, Trena says, “Please do so! Your donation and/or time volunteering are what keep programs like Food for Thought going. Our students need to see our support in action.”
Show your support today by donating to the Rapid Response Fund or learn how you can get involved as a Food for All Fall Ambassador. “Every little bit counts,” she says. “Providing a hot meal, a morning snack, a grocery card or an hour of your time may seem so small, but it makes a big difference to those who need it most.”
Become a Food for All Fall Ambassador
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