The First Mobile Food Pantry of the Semester Has Arrived

By Raina Roller

Volunteers arranging food on the tables before students arrive (Raina Roller)

Students lined up to get some healthy and nutritious foods at no cost as Purchase hosted its first mobile food pantry of the semester this week. This event was hosted by the Purchase Food Pantry located right across from Starbucks in Fort Awesome. 

"The mobile food pantry provides 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of food each time they visit. They bring us meat, produce, and baked goods. We just think it's a nice way to make things available for people who may not necessarily have access," said Lizz Elvira, the food pantry supervisor.

Many students rely on the mobile food pantry each month. "I try my best to go every single month just cause it saves me a ton of money,” said Dorian King, a junior. He feels that the food pantry gives students "easy free access to specifically frozen foods, which are the best foods to get from here." 

The mobile food pantry was established in 2017 and visits campus once a month on Wednesdays to provide students with the opportunity to receive the food they need, completely free, with the help of Feeding Westchester, a nonprofit organization that helps people in Westchester County gain no-cost access to nutritious food. "Students can come and take what they need, and we never turn people down,” said Elvira. 

Students gathering groceries from the food pantry table (Photo by Raina Roller)

Student volunteers helped set up the tables, put out food, and manage the food pantry. Francisca Schmalz, a sophomore, and Gage Mathias, a junior, both NYPIRG interns, were just two of the student volunteers helping. When asked about some day-to-day tasks for volunteering for the mobile food pantry, Schmalz said, "Today we are unloading the truck, putting the food on the table, and then people get to pick out whatever they want." Other student volunteers include "NYPIRG interns, students from athletics, and lots of students and staff," said Elvira. 

Many items that are in the food pantry are donations from generous students and community members. According to Elvira, some much-needed items right now are "pasta sauce and toiletries like deodorant, soap, and menstrual products." 

Students filling their bags and wagons with the food provided on the table (Photo by Raina Roller)

The donations page can be found on the Purchase Give website. Even when the mobile food pantry is not in session, all students have access to the food pantry on campus, located right across from Starbucks. 

It is open on Mondays from noon to 7:00 p.m., Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Fridays from noon to 5:00 p.m. With help from the food pantry, students can enjoy healthy food and meals without worrying about the financial burden of purchasing food.