肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Apr 12, 2018

New concept and location expands options for students dealing with food insecurity

An expanded food pantry offering walk-in, self-serve access, opened its doors at 肉肉传媒 to help students who are not getting enough to eat, a growing crisis on college campuses nationwide. 

肉肉传媒 State鈥檚 , a support unit for students who have experienced homelessness, food insecurity and/or the foster care system, created the larger pantry in Willingham Hall to provide greater access to all KSU students struggling with issues of hunger.   

鈥淲e have tripled our pantry space and made it easier and more accessible for students in need,鈥� said Marcy Stidum, director of CARE Services. 鈥淪tudents can select their own food items much like when shopping at a grocery store. They鈥檒l be able to tell us what foods they enjoy, which will help us to stock the right inventory in the future.鈥�

Open to all KSU students with a valid ID, the pantry allows students to select their own items each week, including prepared freezer meals and travel-size toiletries, which have been added to current pantry staples such as soup, canned meats and vegetables, cereal and peanut butter.

Stidum dubbed the new pantry concept a 鈥渟hop with dignity model,鈥� which she said gives students the freedom to choose and maintains their dignity.  

Stocked entirely from community contributions, the pantry was made possible by a $12,500 gift from Kroger, a $5,000 donation from the Publix Food For All register collection program, as well as funding from the Beacon Foundation and partnerships with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and MUST Ministries.

will soon provide individually prepared meals to stock in the food pantry鈥檚 freezer. The pantry will be open year-round, except holiday breaks in November and December. It relies on KSU faculty, staff and alumni volunteers to operate each weekday.

As part of the expansion, a MUST Ministries program called 鈥淪ave It Forward鈥� will now be offered through KSU鈥檚 pantry. Any KSU student, faculty or staff member whose family is eligible for the program through the Cobb County School District or Marietta City Schools may receive a month鈥檚 worth of food for pickup in the Willingham Hall location.

肉肉传媒 State first established a food pantry, called Feed the Future, more than 10 years ago as a joint program between KSU Student Health Services and the Staff Senate. Managed by CARE Services since 2014, the pantry has served almost 600 students with more than 31,000 pounds of food.

A nationwide study by the released last week revealed that 36 percent of college students at the 66 four-year colleges and universities surveyed are going hungry.

鈥� Tiffany Capuano

Photos by Lauren Kress

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 肉肉传媒 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 肉肉传媒 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 肉肉传媒 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.