For many people in the UW-Whitewater community, money is tight. Paying for college, gas and groceries can be expensive. Some people struggle to afford necessities.

Luckily, there is a resource on campus to help with this. The Warhawk Pantry seeks to assist students and staff who need access to food, school supplies and hygiene products. The pantry, which opened in 2018, is housed in the same building as the Drumlin Dining Hall.

For the fall 2024 semester, the pantry is open Tuesdays from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Thursdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and Fridays from noon to 3 p.m.

Tonia Kapitan, the pantry’s manager, explained that it is open to anybody in the campus community who has a self-declared need. First-time visitors fill out an intake form and sign a waiver. No financial information, such as income, is collected.

After completing the forms, visitors shop and choose the items they need. Before leaving, the items are weighed at the front desk, and individuals swipe their HawkCard. These processes are for tracking and attendance purposes, respectively.

Kapitan explained that the pantry receives many items via donations through an Amazon Wishlist. Items are also purchased at discounted rates or are received through Feeding America. 

The Warhawk Pantry is in communication with many student organizations and campus departments, sometimes assisting in hosting food and donation drives.

Kapitan believes that the pantry is beneficial to the campus community.

“I think the best aspect of having the Warhawk Pantry is that we’re filling a critical need,” Kapitan said. “If we can help students in that one little area, that means that they can focus on other expenses.”

Reducing the stigma behind food insecurity is another one of the goals of the food pantry. Kapitan has realized that students will use the pantry as a resource when they feel safe and respected.

Kapitan has had an overwhelmingly positive experience with students who come to the pantry.

“I think they’re very grateful,” Kapitan said. “They’re also very surprised at how wonderful our pantry is, that we have a great space, [and] that we have great variety.”

The pantry also accepts cash donations through its UW-Whitewater Foundation account. Kapitan reported donors have helped sustain the pantry and allowed it to continue its mission.

Grace Jasken is a UW-Whitewater student who works at the Warhawk Pantry. Jasken shared that meeting people in the campus community has been a wonderful experience.

“It’s been really nice getting to meet different Whitewater students and see everybody’s backgrounds,” Jasken said. “It’s also been nice working with volunteers that come in, and a lot of times the volunteers we have are the same people that are using the pantry.”

Jasken added that the pantry reduces stress for students in tough situations and allows them to focus on other things, namely their studies, clubs, and sports.

The pantry served over 2,100 individuals in the community last year, with almost 500 of those being unique visitors. When student enrollment is factored in, nearly 5% of students have visited the pantry. 

Kapitan has set a goal of increasing that statistic to 10% of students, which would be around 1,000 students. Additionally, more than 13,000 pounds of food were given away to the community last year, with 9,000 pounds taken in.

Kapitan urges those with a need to check out the pantry and what it has to offer.

“It’s an inclusive, safe, open place [and] easy to find. I think it’s very accessible,” Kapitan said. “We love this location, and the staff [is] warm, friendly [and] welcoming.”

Jasken echoed Kapitan’s message, adding that there are no requirements or a minimum level of need.

“The pantry is for all students,” Jasken

said. “We’re all working on getting somewhere in the future, so the pantry is really there to help all of the students to help ensure success later by helping them grow right now.”

In its six years of operation, the Warhawk Pantry has made a significant impact on the UW-Whitewater community. From supplying items to holding donation drives, it has been an accessible environment where anyone can use the resources provided. 

Thanks to the generosity of donors and Feeding America, the pantry can sustain the many items that students and faculty need to be at their best. The pantry will continue to be an essential resource on campus and a benefit to the community.