Food Pantry Coordinators Joshua Kahsen and Julie Nordin, photo credit to SOU
Food insecurity is an ever looming risk for students across the country. Students face challenges because their lifestyles are often expensive while also limiting hours available for work. At SOU, students can only work a maximum of twenty hours per week on campus, half of a normal work week. Outside of on campus work, it’s challenging to find cooperative work hours, to say nothing of the difficulties posed by transportation and an increasingly challenging job market. This means even access to basic necessities like food can be challenging.
This is why the University has the Food Pantry, a little known resource located on the third floor of the Stevenson Union. Once a week, any student can go into the Food Pantry and take up to ten non-perishable food items and some perishable items. Financial status is completely irrelevant. Anyone can check into SU 312, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., and take whatever fresh food they need, within reason.
Beyond food, personal hygiene products are available too and students are allowed to take as much as they want. The Food Pantry’s Instagram is @sou_foodpantry and @soustudentlife also has regular updates on closures and operations.
One thing that’s changed for the food pantry recently is they’ve partnered with the Farm, to get access to fresh produce. ASSOU, in the 2024-2025 year, has taken an active interest in expanding the Food Pantry’s quality and reach. Tiana Gilliland, ASSOU Student President, created a task force on food access. Sha Pettit, who is on the Task Force, told me over email there had been successes as well as areas for improvement.
“The general orchestration to advertise about the Food Pantry brought such excitement to me and others,” Sha said. “However, I feel there needs to be more ways to orchestrate and advertise the department. All ideas are welcomed.”
Concerns ASSOU and the Food Pantry have revolved around increasing access and being generally better at sussing out issues. “Our purchasing fund is running low,” said Julie Nordin, Pantry Coordinator, in an email to me, “making it difficult to stock dietary-specific options and keep the pantry well-supplied. Additionally, we have experienced inconsistent donation levels, which has made it challenging to keep certain essential items in stock. Lastly, our operating hours present a barrier to accessibility. Since the pantry is located within an office that closes at 5:00 PM, students who need access later in the day are currently unable to do so.”
“It’s been a bit harder for some people who do know about the Food Pantry,” Sha told me, “who struggle based off Dietary and allergy restrictions, that does make it very challenging to find what they can get.”
The Food Pantry also is soliciting donations, whether that’s products or money. Donations can be given to staff in SU312. For questions, the Food Pantry can be reached at foodpantry@sou.edu.
