Office of Community Engagement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eastern Washington University Creates Student Food Pantries
University shows its commitment to fighting student hunger and #NormalizingTheNeed around food insecurity among college students
[CHENEY, WASHINGTON, June 7, 2018]— Eastern Washington University is trying to combat student hunger by introducing new food pantries all around the campus. The Food Pantry was opened on April 24, 2018, and has since been providing non-perishable items to students from six locations, thanks to the help of 2nd Harvest and The Dairy Farmers of Washington—the program’s primary partners.
Kayla Martinez, an AmeriCorps VISTA serving at the university, noted that normalizing and destigmatizing are the main obstacles that the Food Pantry will have in tackling hunger on campus. To help students feel comfortable accessing the pantries, Martinez chose locations that were spread among various university buildings and are private enough for a student to not have an awkward bump in with a classmate. “We’re really low-barrier,” said Martinez.
The EWU Food Pantry was created in response to a 2016 study completed by EWU’s Department of Health and Wellness that found 33-percent of students have run out of food at some point, and 36-percent have worried where they will get their next meal. These findings show that Eastern students are facing food insecurity at a rate that is double the average for the average American household. Brian Davenport, the director of the Office of Community Engagement, is proud to join the other campus departments, EWU Pride Center and Women’s Studies Center, that are fighting student hunger. “The Office of Community Engagement did not start these efforts,” said Davenport. “We were invited to join them.”
In the fall, one of the six pantry locations will be moving into the newly re-opened PUB, a student union building that houses everything from dining options to club and organization offices. Looking even further forward, Davenport hopes to expand the Food Pantry to include a facility with a refrigerator to allow fresh food to be handed out to students.
The EWU Office of Community Engagement is accepting donations for shelf-stable food items as well as toiletries and personal hygiene products to continue to stock the Food Pantry. Monetary contributions for the expansion of the existing food pantries, purchase of commonly used spices, as well as in-kind donations of spices are also especially appreciated. You can drop off donations at the Office of Community Engagement located in Showalter Hall 115. If you are interested in volunteering to help address food insecurity, contact the office of Community Engagement at / 509-359-6255.
Any further inquiries can be directed to either Brian Davenport or Kayla Martinez.
NormalizeTheNeed
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Contact:
Brian Davenport
Director, Office of Community Engagement
bdavenport2@ewu.edu, 509.359.2036
Kayla Marinez
Community Outreach Coordinator
EWU Office of Community Engagement
CEAmericorps@ewu.edu], 509.359.4006
