To some members of the LSU community, getting food to eat may not be an issue. But to others, it can be a challenging aspect of college life. The LSU Food Pantry, which provides supplemental food for students who experience situational or constant food insecurities, recently announced its plans to move locations on campus.
The pantry is currently on the third floor of the Student Union in Room 350, but will move to the first floor of the Student Union in Room 108 across from the Tiger Card Office. The transition to a bigger space stems from the increase in donations and the number of students who use the pantry.
Assistant Director of Leadership and Service Caleb Wells said the goal of the food pantry is to ensure students can sustain themselves.
“We are here for anyone who might experience food insecurity,” Wells said. “Whether it is someone who throughout the year does not consistently have enough to supply their own food or someone who needs supplemental items to take care of themselves, that is what we are here for.”
The food pantry is open year-round for students to access twice a week. The only requirement to access the pantry is a Tiger Card. The food in the pantry varies depending on donations. Donations from Trader Joe’s come on Mondays and Tuesdays through the LSU Food Pantry’s affiliation with The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.
“On Mondays and Tuesdays, we typically have the highest number of users that show up to shop,” Wells said. “We get a lot of fresh produce on those days such as spinach, carrots, apples, milk, eggs and many other kinds of counter produce.”
LSU’s Food Pantry receives anywhere between 500 and 1,000 pounds of food from the local food bank each Wednesday.
Students or on-campus organizations can reach out and donate. The easiest way to help the food pantry is by volunteering.
“Students can volunteer their time in the space,” Wells said. “As we move to the new location we are transitioning to a scheduled in-person training so that volunteers can work shifts as short as 30 minutes a day.”
Last semester, there were 6,130 visits to the food pantry and 43,808 pounds of food donated, Wells said. The food pantry will nearly triple in size as it moves, allowing more students to shop at a time. There is currently a limit to the number of students allowed inside of the pantry, occasionally resulting in long lines.
“It takes a long time to process the line because the current room is not very large,” Wells said. “We only allow six people to shop at a time, so the bigger space will allow us to accommodate more students at a time and cut down on lines.”
Wells wants students to know no financial documents are needed to come to the pantry, and the pantry and staff are there for students who need it.