Our Crowdfunding Groups
The Student Food Pantry at DePaul University opened in February 2020. We could not have imagined then that so soon after we would be confronting a global crisis that’s dramatically increased food insecurity within our student community. Due to the loss of off-campus employment, or reduced hours for the jobs that remain, the demand for food assistance is growing. Your gift to the Fund for the Student Food Pantry will help us keep the shelves stocked so no student goes hungry.
In the summer of 2018, colleagues at the the DePaul Student Centers, along with Chartwells, discussed an idea to help food-insecure students. By fall 2018, we were allowing students to donate back some of their unused meal swipes which became the budget that would later support this effort. Swipe donations were collected for the rest of the 2018-19 academic year and in fall 2019, providing the support to start-up and stock the first ever food pantry on campus. In February 2020, after much research and over a year’s worth of student donations, the food pantry opened its doors. The pantry is located on the 3rd floor of the Student Center and was open twice weekly for all of winter quarter for students. The pantry is only open to DePaul students and complements the already great work of the St. Vincent’s Parish Pantry.
When COVID-19 became a pandemic, the Student Food Pantry had already become a trusted source of support for students. The pantry is temporarily located on the 1st floor of the Student Center and is open every day throughout this spring quarter for any student who needs to use this really great resource. The pantry depends on donations of food or funds to continue and be sustainable. Every little bit helps.
For more information about the student food pantry, please contact Rick Moreci at rmoreci@depaul.edu.
