The Warhawk Pantry provided a number of Thanksgiving meal boxes on Nov. 24 and 25 to allow food-insecure students to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
The boxes include sliced turkey and gravy, the ingredients to make a green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, fresh fruit and slices of apple pie. A total of 25 boxes were given out to students who requested the items in advance.
Much of the food is sourced from local pantries and through the Feeding America food banks, explained University Center Services Manager Tonia Kapitan, who oversees the pantry. Feeding America allows local food banks to purchase food at a heavily discounted rate, usually around 10:1.
“We can purchase $10 worth of food for $1,” Kapitan said. “So we’re getting a really big bang for our buck.”
Additional items are sourced through other organization’s food drives. Items from DECA, Human Resource Management Association, the College of Letters and Sciences and even individual student donations have found their way into meal kits.
Some items, considered luxury items, such as spices, salt, pepper and auxiliary items like can openers are bought from Walmart.
Overall, the meal kits cost around $25 for the Warhawk Pantry to create, a massive discount compared to the component pieces. The boxes are available for free to students who signed up in advance. As of the end of the signup period, all 25 boxes were reserved. Originally debating the amount of meal boxes to offer, the pantry was surprised by how quickly the boxes were sold out. According to Kapitan, the amount of food insecurity among students has increased sharply over the last year.
“In years past, they did 10, and we thought there would be an increase,” Kapitan said. “But we didn’t realize how much of a need [exists].”
The amount next year will most likely increase as demand doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The pantry has taken additional steps to alert students who need help.
Mallory Ashline, the Warhawk Pantry’s public relations and social media manager, explained a large part of her current job is fostering community connections and breaking stigmas. Ashline has been making Instagram posts and reels in an effort to reach students.
“Seeing normal people using the pantry [makes it a] totally normal thing,” Ashline said.
Keeping the reels trendy and modernized helps make the experience familiar to students, reducing the odd feeling that surrounds accepting help. The more students who use the pantry, she added, the more normalized the whole process becomes.
“We love our students and especially volunteers who have been supporting us throughout the years,” Ashline said. “I’m just grateful to be a part of this awesome community that we have here.”
