Keep Ward 3 food pantry's doors open! We call on the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) to rescind its decision to close down the 14 month-old community food pantry in a university-leased building next to its Van Ness Campus. The pantry provides fresh fruits and vegetables, which enhance the nutrition of low-income people living near UDC and beyond. In addition, the pantry provides household cleaning supplies and personal hygiene supplies, items which are cost-prohibitive for those with low incomes. 

UDC has generously provided cost-free space for the pantry in a largely vacant building since May 2021. Since that time, the pantry – powered by volunteers, individual donations, and community grants – has grown from serving 52 low-income households weekly to serving more than 100 households each week. 

With worsening inflation, the need for the pantry is growing, yet UDC gave notice that the pantry must close by the end of July 2022 (UPDATE: now must close by end of October 2022). UDC officials have not yet offered useable alternate space in Van Ness for the pantry, which needs room for refrigerators and storage shelves.

The pantry is more than a source of food and other necessities; it is a meeting place for volunteers and our guests to find ways to help one another, share advice and networking resources, and build community. 

Like UDC, the Feed the Family pantry is committed to advancing equity. Its mission of fighting food insecurity goes hand in hand with UDC’s pioneering curriculum in urban agriculture and nutritional security. Over the past year, the pantry has developed a robust network of donors, partners, and volunteers that has helped reach ever greater numbers of neighbors in need. 

UDC has been a vital part of that network, providing the bedrock for good works in the community. We call on UDC’s leaders to redouble their commitment to the  community by continuing to provide cost-free or low-cost space to the Feed the Family pantry. We thank UDC for contributing space and appeal to UDC to continue to host this essential hub for neighbors helping neighbors.

Thanks so much for your support! Please share this petition with friends and family. Contact feedthefamilydc@gmail.com for more information about how to volunteer or donate cleaning supplies. If you have money to donate, please consider donating to the pantry rather than Change.org to promote the petition: GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/1c69fe01