Western Illinois University Food Pantry

WIU Food Pantry - Western Illinois University - Macomb, Illinois

The Beginning - The concept of "The starving college student" has been around for many years, however over the years, it has become even more evident. In 2017, Dr. Emily Shupe began noticing more and more students suffering from food insecurity, struggling with their education, and needing additional help. That is when she reached out to several dietetic students, asking them if they wanted to make a difference. 

The Need - Before anything could be done, the group needed to understand the level of food insecurity within the WIU community, so they developed a survey. The survey yielded almost 700 responses, and among those respondents, 50% of students reported food insecurity. Even more frightening, 20% or one out of every five students reported that their grades had suffered due to food insecurity. The survey results identified that a food pantry was desperately needed on campus. 

Daily Operations - During the development of the pantry, Dr. Shupe and her Co-Director, Carrie Lowderman, began a new student organization, the "WIU Food Pantry" student organization. The purpose of the student organization is to run the daily operations of the pantry. With a variety of leadership roles within the organization, it provides students an opportunity to practice lessons learned from the classroom in a real-life situation. These roles include a student president, an operations manager, a volunteer coordinator, along with many other roles. Over the years, the pantry has provided many opportunities for the students involved. The pantry is a place where the students work together, develop friendships, develop the concept of empathy and helping others, practice lessons learned in the classroom, and numerous students have utilized the pantry to expand their education through research. 

Student Needs - The WIU Food Pantry opened its doors on March 28th, 2018. The pantry was located in a ticket booth outside of the Hanson Football Stadium. From the very beginning, it was obvious that there was a great demand for this service. It did not take long before the pantry outgrew its location and was moved to Horrabin Hall room 10. Throughout the years, we have continued to see a steady increase in the number of participants served. The use of the pantry is not based on income, there is no fee or cost associated with receiving food. The only requirement is that the individual be part of the WIU community. The response has been tremendous, there are some weeks that the pantry has served over 300 students and has given out thousands of pounds of food. 

Pantry Funds - The WIU Food Pantry works with several AMAZING organizations to acquire food for the students. Twice each month, we receive free food donations from Midwest Food Bank. Midwest is a large food bank that services many smaller pantries. We purchase food at a significantly reduced cost from River Bend Food Bank, which is a "Feeding America" program that offers low-cost food to pantries. We also purchase from other sources such as Dorothy's Market. Dorothy's Market is part of DOT Foods, and each year, we have been fortunate to receive grants and store credit for Dorothy's Market from DOT Foods. Outside of Midwest, River Bend, and DOT Foods, we have been extremely fortunate to receive grants and donations from many other organizations and AMAZING individuals who we consider angels. 

Community Involvement - The gratitude that we see is unbelievable! As students begin utilizing the pantry, they are overwhelmed with the kindness and support that they receive. In return, they want to help and give back, volunteer to help others, just as others have helped them. With our large group of volunteers, we have been able to give back to the community. Eight times each year, we work with members of the Macomb community to help with mobile food pantries. The mobile pantries have been extremely popular, often serving over 200 families each year. 

Final Words - The WIU Food Pantry was developed out of a significant need. Through the work of the pantry, not only are we reducing food insecurity among our students, but we are positively influencing their lives. Through the work at the pantry, students are experiencing and understanding empathy, they are developing deep connections through shared experiences, and they are fostering a passion for helping others. Student volunteers are practicing their leadership skills, completing research on topics that have an impact on our society, and learning critical thinking skills. Without donations from the public, we could not be where we are. The generosity that you show through your donation not only helps provide food for the students, but it provides valuable lessons to help shape our future. Words cannot express how much we appreciate each and every donation that we receive... THANK YOU!!