The Office of Community Engagement will be hosting a launch event on Tuesday, April 24, for the recently established permanent food pantry cabinets located across campus.
Roughly one-third of Eastern students have identified themselves as food insecure, according to EWU’s Health and Wellness biennial survey conducted in May 2016. To immediately address students’ needs, resources on campus banded together to create an exploration group, along with temporary food pantries at the Women’s and Gender Education Center and Pride Center.
In April 2017, the EWU Office of Community Engagement embraced the leadership role of working toward a permanent solution to ease student hunger on campus – and that hard work has culminated in establishing six permanent food pantries, thanks to a $10,000 sponsorship from the Dairy Farmers of Washington.
In addition to food items, the pantries will provide hygiene products. There is no minimum requirement for students to utilize the pantries. Participants are encouraged, however, not required, to use an anonymous 3-digit code to sign in. The sign in will help provide demographics such as class standing, race and gender.
EWU Food Pantry Cabinet Locations
Showalter Hall
1st floor across from room 105
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
JFK Library
Basement across from L02
Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday 1-10 p.m.
URC
Lower lobby, room 102
Monday-Friday, 6:15 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, 10:15 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Sutton Hall
3rd floor, across from room 300
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Isle Hall
L101
Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
PE Classroom Building
Room 118
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
“We do not want any barriers,” said Kayla Martinez, Office of Community Engagement AmeriCorps VISTA. “Anyone is welcome to use the pantries for anything they may need.”
The launch event will be held in the campus mall from 11 a.m. -1 p.m. There will be a resource fair and pop-up pantry providing groceries. Also in attendance will be KXLY radio station, who will be broadcasting live, the Dairy Farmers of Washington and a truck from Second Harvest.
“Anyone is welcome to attend,” said Martinez. “The purpose of the launch event is to raise awareness of the pantries and let students know of the resources we are providing.”
The pantries are currently available in six campus locations: Showalter, JFK Library, URC, Sutton Hall, Isle Hall and the PE Classroom building. The Office of Community Engagement hopes to expand to more locations on campus in the future.
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