As most Wingate students were heading toward holiday break with visions of home-cooked meals dancing in their heads, the University took steps to ensure that those staying on campus would have plenty to eat. Paw Provisions, a food pantry and storeroom providing food (non-perishable and frozen items), donated clothing, and hygiene products, opened Thursday in Northeast Residence Hall and will be open weekly to help meet student needs into the spring semester.
“In the latest version of the Bulldog Poll, more than 30 percent of students indicated they faced the prospect of going hungry because they did not have the resources to buy food,” explains Mick Reynolds, an assistant vice president at the University and dean of campus life. “We know there is a population of students in need of assistance, and are working to address that need.”
Reynolds says that although the perception exists that student meal plans eliminate food security issues, most commuter students do not have a university meal plan, and, for those who do, breaks between semesters or during holidays are not typically covered by meal plans.
“For the most vulnerable, this creates a significant burden that not only impacts student health, but also their general wellness and diminishes the likelihood of overall student success,” he wrote in a grant application to the University’s Board of Visitors, which in turn awarded him $5,000 in startup funding for the initiative. The pantry has also garnered support from the community in conjunction with the University’s Collaborative for the Common Good.
“Our community sponsors have donated over $1,400 worth of materials,” says Catherine Wright, executive director of the CCG. Donors include Food Lion in Hemby Bridge (Chris Estes, store manager), Provision Church and Heart for Monroe. She said the BOV grant has provided racks and equipment to transform Room 139 of Northeast into the pantry. The space, which once housed a small market operated by Chartwells, Wingate’s dining contractor, is well suited for the purpose.
Wingate is not unique in having students with food insecurity. According to Project HOPE, a global relief organization, even before the pandemic, 30 percent of students experienced food insecurity at some point in their college careers. A Project HOPE Survey from fall 2020 showed that 29 percent of students at four-year colleges reported experiencing food insecurity in the previous 30 days.
At Wingate, 36 percent of 168 students responding to a 2020 survey indicated that they had low or very low food security.
In an email to the campus, Reynolds shared that any student is welcome at Paw Provisions, that the pantry will open weekly during the break and into the spring semester, and that the University will survey those who use the resource to help document the program’s impact and tailor offerings to student needs.
Wright said that the three dozen or so students who are staying on campus during the winter break, many of whom are international students unable to fly home between semesters, will be treated to a holiday casserole potluck Friday and a pizza party early in the new year.
She said the CCG has already been battling food insecurity. Shortly after the pandemic began, a donation potluck dubbed “Bone-Appetit” was established to encourage faculty, staff and community members to make and donate their favorite meals to students. The CCG, Heart for Monroe and Convoy of Hope also host a Mid-Week Refuel snack program where students can pick up a variety of free packaged snacks offered under a tent between the Academic Quad and Austin Auditorium each Wednesday.
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