U of A launches Pop-Up Pantry at ISS
The University of Arizona Campus Pantry has been up and running since the Spring of 2012. At the time, it was run by a small group of volunteers, operating out of a residence hall closet. Currently, the Campus Pantry has expanded to a large room on the bottom floor in the Student Union, with U of A community members serving as volunteers.
The goal of the campus pantry has always been to help minimize food insecurity in our Wildcat community. They are committed to helping students, faculty, and staff who are in need of food assistance due to financial and other situational reasons. One of their most recent additions to this initiative had been the Pop-Up Pantry Box Program.
“The Campus Pantry Pop-Up Pantry is free supplemental groceries for all students," said Olivia Adams, international student advisor. “It is specifically non-perishables and menstrual products that they can grab that are more accessible and that are in their like locations where they are visiting.”
There are more than 10 Pop-Up Pantry locations at the University of Arizona. Some of these locations include the South Rec, the Thrive Center, Eller College, and more. The goal of these pantry placements is to make them more accessible to students, no matter where they are or how busy their schedules may be.
One of the newest openings of the Pop-Up Pantry is in International Students Services (ISS), located in the Global Center.
“The way that it operates per the campus pantry regulation is on a take one, leave one basis, but that's not required,” explained Adams. “So take what you need, and if you don't have anything to leave, you can still use it. It's open to any students, faculty, and staff. It's not just restricted to international students.”
On average, 1 in 3 college students face food insecurity during their time in school. Initiatives like the Pop-Up Pantry attempt to eliminate the stigma of receiving help by encouraging students to take advantage of these resources. No questions asked, no ID needed, no commitment.
While open to all students on campus, ISS is excited to provide the service in a space frequented by international students. “We know that international students have different restrictions on working and have different costs associated with their degree than domestic students,” said Adams. “We know that there is definitely a need for this amongst our international student populations. I think everyone in our office is very excited to be able to provide this for our students.”
The new Pop-Up Pantry is set up directly at the front of the ISS office. Whether they are coming in for advising or simply passing by, students are free to come and go as they wish. Although this Pantry box is not meant to be the sole provider of groceries for students, it can help in the gaps for extreme food insecurity.
“This is a really important way that we can all move forward and kind of re-imagine our community growing in a more beneficial way that helps everybody, that lifts everybody, in a way that also helps remove some of the stigma,” said Adams. “There are a lot of internal barriers…or shame around asking for help. That's why I think it's really important that we have mutual aid where if you have something that you can add, you can add to it and feel good about helping others.”