Shepherdstown, W.Va., – Shepherd University opened a food pantry on campus for current students who are in need. Jack Shaw, vice president of campus services, and Jenny Flora, director of the Wellness Center, and Angel Petty, the graduate hall director on campus helped organize the food pantry.
“When I was an undergrad at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. I faced my own hardships. I was homeless and faced my own food insecurities, so I used my campus’s food pantry and offered to help them out,” Petty said.
Shaw said, “We started discussing it [the pantry] last March after the electrical outages on campus. Some students lost food so it prompted the discussion. I toured Frostburg State University’s food pantry to get some ideas, and they gave us an idea of where to have the food pantry, what the layout should be and what products to have”
“After coming here, discussion began to start a food pantry after students asked about it and President Hendrix pushed to get a pantry started, so we started a committee to get a pantry started on campus. President Hendrix donated about $1,000 to $2,000 from the President Fund to help start the pantry,” said Petty.
The food pantry committee consists of Don Rohel, retired director of the Student Center, Hannah Brumbaugh, graduate assistant of student community service and service learning, Dr. Liz Sechler, director of Residence Life, Jack Shaw, Dr. Jenny Flora, Angel Petty and New Street United Methodist church in Shepherdstown.
“We have a partnership with Mountaineer Food Bank and we also got donations from the community. Pepsi donated some of their freezers to us, New Street United Methodist donated one of their freezers and Jack Shaw got Chartwells to donate one of their shelving units. The amount we spent out of pocket was about $362. Once a semester, one purchase of food will be made, but the rest will be from various drives on campus,” Petty said.
“A little over 3,000 pounds of food were raised from students during the homecoming food drive, which was put towards our food pantry,” Shaw said.
Currently enrolled students of Shepherd University with a Flex 15, Ram Deluxe, The Commuter Experience, The Shopper, The Budget Express, or no meal plan are eligible to use the food pantry.
The pantry is open Wednesdays 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Eligible students can come to the pantry once a week.
The pantry will be open for every student to come and get food a week before school breaks happen.
Petty said, “I’m really proud and excited that Shepherd is offering this to students with food insecurities. We’re really proud of our campus and community donors and we’re thankful for that.”
