Ut Prosim - It's What's For Dinner

On Tues., Feb. 28, the Student Support Foundation announced the opening of a student food pantry and celebrated the debut with an open house on the back end of Bagley House.

The student food pantry is a project sponsored by the Student Support Foundation that aims to provide PSU students in need with the foundations of a substantial diet. 

Samuel Wisel, President of the Student Support Foundation, said that the food pantry concept has been in the works for three years. 

"The idea for an on-campus food pantry came from myself and a few other board members about three years ago," said Wisel. "We felt that we needed to offer immediate assistance to students."

In the spirit of  PSU's motto, Ut Prosim (that I may serve), Wisel felt that it was important for students not only to serve the community at large, but to be serving students as well.

"PSU students do a lot for the community," said Wisel. "We need to make sure that we are serving our students first."

Wisel said that three factors held turn the food pantry from concept to reality. "Commitment," said Wisel, "was the first. We had to find the right group of students that wanted to make a difference."

Secondly, "we needed to find a space and people to donate their time," said Wisel. The pantry is entirely volunteer-run.

"The biggest factor was finding funding." The Morgridge Family Foundation, a "major donor to the University," largely funds the food pantry and the Student Support Foundation, said Wisel.  

The food pantry relies heavily on donations as the major source food. Donations might come from individuals, student organizations, campus departments, and food drives.

"We take anything non-perishable," said Wisel. "Canned fruits and vegetables, pasta and sauce, assorted cereals. We also have refrigeration and a freezer, so we can provide frozen meals, fresh milk and bread, and meats."

The food pantry has also taken into consideration students with special dietary needs to provide gluten free options, vegetarian options, and Hannaford's gift cards for students that need to buy specialty products.

"We follow standard USDA guidelines in distribution food," said Wisel, which requires them to give students in need up to two weeks worth of food.  Students are able to access the food pantry two times a month.

To be eligible to receive food from the pantry, students must provide verification of enrollment and demonstrate financial need. However, the Student Support Foundation operates mainly on a referral basis.

The Student Support Foundation receives requests from professors, advisors, faculty members, and students on behalf of students in need. The Student Support Foundation then reaches out to the referred student to offer immediate financial assistance. 

"When someone is in need, they don't want to show it, but we have seen a need base at PSU and want to reach out to those students," said Wisel. "We trust that students won't take advantage of what we offer."

Wisel said that the first few months of operation will be "experimental" as they determine how much inventory will need to be stocked at all times and as the service grows. "Still, we're confident that we'll be able to serve a vast amount of the students here that are in need."