Swoop's Food Pantry collects more than 1,500 pounds of food

Hungry students have received more than 1,500 pounds of food since Swoop’s Student Food Pantry opened just over a month ago on Sept. 21.

The program helps students in need. Donated items include soup, canned fish and meat, pasta, pasta sauce and fresh fruit and yogurt.

Social work students volunteer at the food pantry. They are trained not only in safe food handling and proper health procedures but also confidentiality and the importance of social activism.

Donations and financial support are welcomed. Coordinators check food expiration dates and health and safety regulations compliance before distributing the donations.

The food pantry has received a lot of initial support from Food Gatherers, Jiffy Mix Company, the Drakes Batter Mix Company and Eden Foods.

Lynn Nybell, professor and director of the School of Social Work, told university communications, “We are grateful for recent donor support, including The John and Angie Sabo Memorial Endowment to Support Student Hunger Relief, established by David and Annette Johnson.”

Various on-campus donations have helped fill the shelves, too. Faculty in the College of Health and Human Services held a food drive. The President’s Office, the dean’s office in the College of Health and Human Services, Nutrition Services, the EMU Foundation and the School of Social Work have also provided donations.

Haley Moraniec, who came up with the idea for the food pantry, urged the EMU community to contribute.

“Generous sponsorship from Food Gatherers has helped open our doors, but we’ll need support from the EMU community and our donors and friends to keep our shelves stocked this fall,” she said in a press release.

The food pantry – found in 376 Marshall – is open Monday through Thursday, 3-6 p.m., the first Friday of the month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the second Saturday of the month, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

More information is available at the Swoop's Student Food Pantry webpage.