Bring Back UMass-Amherst's Food Pantry!
The Issue
In 2018, UMass Amherst housed a food pantry in Bartlett Hall. The food pantry was created to supply canned goods and toiletries to students in need. It was staffed by members of the SGA, Graduate Student Senate, service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega (APO), and other student volunteers. Benefits of the pantry included accessibility for on-campus students, weekly hours, and graduate student-only hours. Grad student only hours are unique in their ability to protect the privacy of grad students concerned about running into their undergrad students. Since its closing, the number of food insecure students has risen.
During the height of COVID UMass administration reclaimed many rooms in Bartlett, including the pantry. During the last academic year, members of APO have spoken with administration in hopes of reinstatement, but we have been told to look for alternatives. During this search for viable options, UMass students are going hungry.
As a UMass student, I would like to emphasize the appreciation I have for both on and off campus resources that combat food insecurity. First, Amherst Survival Center in Sunderland provides options for both indoor dining, food pantry pick ups, and delivery options. There are also on campus Student Care Supply Closets, which provide free personal care items. Finally, UMass Dining also has a program, "No Student Goes Hungry," which allows a student to request up to 3 days of meal swipes through Spire. However, I would like to affirm that these services are not sustainable enough to replace an on-campus food pantry.
Amherst Survival Center is difficult for on-campus students to access if spontaneous need arises, especially if they do not have enough time between classes to take the bus to Sunderland. It is also not open on Wednesdays. While Student Care Supply Closets provide a multitude of important items, they do not have food items. UMass Dining FAQs have also proven to be out of date, still including the Food Pantry as support for food insecurity, along with the Food Recovery Network, which UMass Auxiliary has also failed to support post-COVID.
There are homeless students and there are students without meal plans, and if the UMass administration prioritized space for the food pantry, it would change the lives of many students, so let's provide as many resources as possible for our UMass community!!!!!!!!
Contact info:
Alpha Phi Omega - presidentapoko1@gmail.com
Amherst Survival Center - pantry@amherstsurvival.org
Dean of Students - (413) 545-2684
Graduate Student Senate - gss-info@grad.umass.edu
Supply Closets - supplyclosets-sa@umass.edu
UMass Dining - (413) 545-2472
598
The Issue
In 2018, UMass Amherst housed a food pantry in Bartlett Hall. The food pantry was created to supply canned goods and toiletries to students in need. It was staffed by members of the SGA, Graduate Student Senate, service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega (APO), and other student volunteers. Benefits of the pantry included accessibility for on-campus students, weekly hours, and graduate student-only hours. Grad student only hours are unique in their ability to protect the privacy of grad students concerned about running into their undergrad students. Since its closing, the number of food insecure students has risen.
During the height of COVID UMass administration reclaimed many rooms in Bartlett, including the pantry. During the last academic year, members of APO have spoken with administration in hopes of reinstatement, but we have been told to look for alternatives. During this search for viable options, UMass students are going hungry.
As a UMass student, I would like to emphasize the appreciation I have for both on and off campus resources that combat food insecurity. First, Amherst Survival Center in Sunderland provides options for both indoor dining, food pantry pick ups, and delivery options. There are also on campus Student Care Supply Closets, which provide free personal care items. Finally, UMass Dining also has a program, "No Student Goes Hungry," which allows a student to request up to 3 days of meal swipes through Spire. However, I would like to affirm that these services are not sustainable enough to replace an on-campus food pantry.
Amherst Survival Center is difficult for on-campus students to access if spontaneous need arises, especially if they do not have enough time between classes to take the bus to Sunderland. It is also not open on Wednesdays. While Student Care Supply Closets provide a multitude of important items, they do not have food items. UMass Dining FAQs have also proven to be out of date, still including the Food Pantry as support for food insecurity, along with the Food Recovery Network, which UMass Auxiliary has also failed to support post-COVID.
There are homeless students and there are students without meal plans, and if the UMass administration prioritized space for the food pantry, it would change the lives of many students, so let's provide as many resources as possible for our UMass community!!!!!!!!
Contact info:
Alpha Phi Omega - presidentapoko1@gmail.com
Amherst Survival Center - pantry@amherstsurvival.org
Dean of Students - (413) 545-2684
Graduate Student Senate - gss-info@grad.umass.edu
Supply Closets - supplyclosets-sa@umass.edu
UMass Dining - (413) 545-2472
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Petition created on May 5, 2023