By Gurjot Kang
Food insecurity on college campuses is a significant issue students deal with on a day-to-day basis. Juggling activities and athletics, working one or more jobs, and balancing a full class load are difficult things to accomplish on their own, let alone on an empty stomach.
A group of Act Six Scholars, Campus Ministry, and Program Director for Act Six and Multicultural Outreach and Engagement, Melannie Cunningham, recognized this need and began efforts to start up a food pantry at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in October of 2017.
The food pantry is available to all students for emergency situations. If you are hungry and in need of immediate assistance, the food pantry is there to provide support. The pantry has microwavable food, meal tickets, and other resources available for students who might need immediate service. The pantry also collaborates with Community Directors in the residence halls for students who might seek assistance during times when the pantry is not open.
Opening hours for the pantry are effective as of Monday, October 1. The pantry hours will be Monday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Thursday 1 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. Hours of operation will eventually be posted near the Campus Ministry Office and students in need of assistance are welcome to come into the office and talk to someone.
“Emergency is what you determine to be an emergency. I’m not really trying to define what’s your emergency. We’re here and the bottom line is that if you’re hungry then you are and we need to be available,” said Cunningham.
The issue of food insecurity becomes even more difficult near the end of the semester when money get tighter and stress levels rise for some students. During last school year, the pantry served 37 students–12 students in the first semester and 25 students in the second semester. Assumptions regarding the issue of food insecurity not being prevalent on private colleges is false. PLU is no exception.
“People are hungry for lots of different reasons…the conditions of the spaces that they come from doesn’t change because we give them a big, fancy scholarship…We have to meet students where they are. We have to help students in conversations about budgeting, managing their resources and the nutrition part of it all,” said Cunningham.
Diana Duclos, Assistant to the Dean for the School of Education and Kinesiology, and Ryan Branchini, Admissions, Advising and Certification Coordinator for the Education Department, have been committed to donating to the Food Pantry every month.
“We know there’s a need for students…if they’re hungry, they can’t concentrate, they can’t focus. It’s not that difficult to stop in the grocery store…and just pick up [something] extra and donate it to the food pantry,” said Duclos.
“This is a great other resource students need for access to nourishment because if you’re not feeding your body, how can you feed your mind?” added Branchini.
When it comes to collecting food for the pantry, efforts are focused on collecting healthier and more nutritious foods: grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, proteins, dairy. However, anything donated outside of the nutritious category is gifted to the food bank run by Trinity Lutheran Church. There is currently a small donation box located in the Education Department’s Office in Admin room 121.
The food pantry is primarily a student-led program by Act Six Scholars at PLU. It started off as a project adopted by PLU’s Cadre Ten of Act Six, but soon more scholars became involved in efforts to get the pantry up and running.
Although the PLU food pantry has already served some students, Cunningham and students from Act Six have been working on having an official launch event for the pantry.
“Food Pantry Dedication” will welcome-in the official opening of the PLU Food Pantry on Monday, October 22 from 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at the Campus Ministry Office.
The goal is to make sure students who might be struggling with food insecurity on-campus are aware of resources available to them. They want students to know that there are folks who care for them and are available to provide support.
To add to the space of the food pantry, Cunningham plans on setting up a reading book exchange for students, which will feature promotional copies of books donated by the PLU bookstore. There are also plans to add a herb garden under the staircase.
For students who might be food insecure on campus, Cunningham wants them to know that there are folks here to help.
“This is a visible place where care is lived out,” said Cunningham. “We don’t want them to feel any level of shame because that’s a big thing too. People feel like they have to be ashamed that they are hungry…there’s no judgement going on in here. If you are hungry, you can’t learn. It’s just as simple as that.”
If you or a friend on-campus are struggling with the issue of food insecurity, you can access Food Pantry services by visiting the Campus Ministry Office at the lower level of the AUC in room 190, calling (253) 535-7467, emailing cunningham@plu.edu or texting (253) 682 9264.
