The Pantry offers options for students facing food insecurity
The Pantry and the Office of Student Advocacy and Support have partnered to provide food resources for students.
By Rylee Morrow
The Pantry and Cupboard are UW Tacoma’s main resources for people with food insecurity. This year, they have merged and can be found in William Philip Hall 010. It is open to all students for free food and hygiene products.
Jesse Cooley is the Program Support Supervisor for the Pantry and Cupboard, and he explained more about what the Pantry does. “The Pantry is basically free groceries for students,” Cooley said.
Current students are allowed up to 20 items per week from the Pantry, ranging from produce, meats, dairy and hygiene products. The Cupboard has a limit of one item per visit and focuses on readymade snacks.
Nov. 16-20, the week before Thanksgiving, is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. The Office of Student Advocacy and Support (OSAS) has several events planned that week to bring awareness to the issue. They will be partnering with the Pantry for that week to host a food drive across campus.
“We’re calling it ‘Pack the Pantry’, so we’re hoping that we can pack the pantry,” the Basic Need Navigator at OSAS, Hana Mei Traulsen, said.
There will be donation boxes at the Dawg House, Court 17, the Husky Market in TPS, the Snoqualmie building and at the UW YMCA. These boxes are open for both students and faculty to donate nonperishable goods.
According to Traulsen, that week will also include an OSAS tabling event on Nov. 18 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in TPS, where students can learn more about the resources that OSAS provides.
The final event will be a screening of the documentary “Learning Hungry” on Nov. 19 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
Beyond the Pantry, there are other resources for those facing food insecurity. Every Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., the Nourish Food Truck is available in the TPS Lot. Created by Nourish Pierce County, this mobile grocery truck serves Pierce County by providing produce, meat, and shelf stable food. This is a popular resource for those who are trying to feed families.
“Just identify how many people are in your family, how many people that you take care of or that you’re serving,” Traulsen said, “Then, based on that, they allow you to take as many items as you need for your kiddos or your family members.”
The Nourish Food Truck is open to all community members and can supplement the 20 pantry items a week for students.
According to Cooley, “They’re not part of UW and not part of the Pantry, which means do both.” Traulsen agreed with this, encouraging students to use both resources. Additional information can be found on the Nourish Pierce County website.
For students who are unable to visit the Nourish Food Truck, OSAS offers guidance to find food banks in other areas. They also assist those who are applying for long-term solutions such as SNAP.
Cooley added that around 48% of the student population faces food insecurity. He has noticed from surveys on the subject that many students don’t use resources available because other students may need it more.
“It can be tricky to advocate for yourself, but honestly this is an all-inclusive space, welcome to all students. Don’t be a stranger,” Sarah Herbruger, the Student Pantry Assistant said.
With the holidays approaching, the Pantry needs resources to help as many students as possible. Beyond the food drive, Cooley said that they can always take nonperishable food items in sealed cases, hygiene products and clean paper bags. He is also working to establish a volunteer program.
The Pantry is open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information about the Pantry and other resource options can be found on the Pantry website and the OSAS website.
