One of Slippery Rock University’s commitments to student success is combatting food insecurity through the nurturing support of programs like Rock Pantry+, which offers SRU students free food, toiletries and other resources. Rock Pantry+ is getting a significant boost thanks to the PA Hunger-Free Campus Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Parker Short, a graduate student from Kittanning (West Shamokin HS), works in the Rock Pantry+ and sees firsthand how important these resources are to supporting students.
“By providing students their basic needs, these resources give them the opportunity to thrive that some might not otherwise have,” Short said. “We foster a caring community that is available for all students, regardless of their situation, and we make it a point to encourage students who might be hesitant to use the resources that are free for them.”
Rock Pantry+ serves more than 350 unique students each semester with a combined 13,000 pantry resource visits.
Survey data indicates that 38% of SRU students reported experiencing some form of basic need insecurity, and 27% reported food insecurity.
Hunger is a nationwide issue for college students, with 41% experiencing food insecurity, according to Temple University’s Hope Center for Basic Student Needs.
To address this need, the PDE awarded $1 million in PA Hunger-Free Campus grants to 30 institutions of higher education across the Commonwealth, including SRU, which received a $60,000 grant.
“A student who is hungry can’t fully focus on learning,” said Tori Kapopoulos, associate director of student support, who wrote the grant application on behalf of SRU. “This state grant is critical because it allows us to expand the food pantry and provide greater support for students, helping remove barriers so they can succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
SRU will use the funds to increase capacity by purchasing a larger freezer. The money will also be used to expand educational programming and establish a peer navigator program to support students with basic life skills.
Rock Pantry+, located in room 201 of the Campus Success Center, is open Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., offering a shopping-style experience for students, giving them access to non-perishable foods, basic toiletries, hygiene products and cleaning supplies. The pantry is collaborative project organized and funded by the Slippery Rock Student Government Association and the SRU Student Support Office.
More information, including ways to access resources or to donate to the pantry, is available on the SRU website.
More information about the PA Hunger-Free Campus Grant is available on the official website of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
