Feeding the Wolves

When Campus Pastor David Coffman ’97 arrived on campus in December 2021, he heard that there were college students who didn’t know from where their next meal would come, and they didn’t know where to turn.

Food insecurity and inaccessibility exist for students, faculty and staff, whether it’s a recurrent necessity or an occasional gap. The causes vary, and no two instances are the same.

Many Newberry College students come from low-income families — 48% of Newberry undergrads receive Federal Pell Grants, which largely benefit students from households earning under $20,000 a year. Even after scholarships, loans, assistance, family contributions and work outside class, students still find themselves having to make ends meet.

Other students see food inaccessibility, in which demanding schedules, lack of transportation, or hours of operation conspire to leave gaps in nutrition. Even for students with meal plans, the swipes can come up short, or there are times when dining services are not available. For some, it comes down to running out of money at the end of the month.

Newberry College students are not alone. According to a 2020 study by Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, 29% of students at four-year colleges nationwide reported experiencing food insecurity in the last month.

The pastor soon joined a band of Newberry faculty and staff who began laying earnest groundwork last spring on a campus pantry in the Weber Campus Ministry House. It is a collaborative ministry, spearheaded by Campus Ministry and the Office of Residence Life. The ribbon on the Wolves Pantry was officially cut on Sept. 29, 2022. In its first three months, the pantry served over 60 individuals.

The pantry has partnered with Newberry’s Living Hope Foundation, a community food bank that now operates in the former Tau Kappa Epsilon house on Nance St. The range of food items that students can use in residence halls is limited, so donated goods that students cannot use will be given to Living Hope. In turn, Living Hope has agreed to send goods from which students can benefit.

The Wolves Pantry seeks nonperishable food items that require little to no preparation, and that can be prepared using a microwave. Canned goods should be openable without a can opener. Examples include breakfast bars, cereal, oatmeal, shelf-stable milk and juice, canned or pouched meats, bottled water, crackers, canned nuts, protein bars, fruit cups, chips, and shelf-stable microwavable dinners. The pantry is also collecting school supplies, paper goods, and personal and feminine hygiene products.

The pantry is open for students, faculty and staff each Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3-6 p.m.

Donations of food and care items can be left in on-campus collection boxes at Wiles Chapel, Holland Hall and Weber House. Monetary donations will also have great impacts. On average, $2 provides a breakfast or a lunch, $3 provides a dinner, and $1.50 provides a supplemental snack.

Cash donations can be made at bit.ly/3TAK2eo or by using the QR code.