New Food Pantry Opens at UMass

Source: UMass News and Media with additional reporting by Art Keene

The University of Massachusetts Amherst, in partnership with the Amherst Survival Center today (9/5), National Food Bank Day, celebrated the establishment of a permanent, on-campus food pantry with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. Nationally, one in three  college students face food insecurity and more than 200 college campuses across the country have food pantries. As a community, UMass Amherst believes no one, particularly on campus, should go hungry. The Campus Pantry:Amherst Survival Center at UMass, located in the lower level of 472 N. Pleasant St. in Amherst, the former location of the Newman Catholic Center, will open Saturday, Sept. 6. It will offer a full-choice, self-guided shopping experience for all members of the campus community who need it. Participants will be able to shop weekly, selecting the items that work best for them, up to a maximum of roughly 10 days of food for their household.  

The pantry will be staffed, managed and operated by the Amherst Survival Center. 

All of the event’s speakers addressed the pervasiveness of food insecurity among college students and also spoke of the hopefulness that the realization of this project, long in the planning, brings in these dark times.

UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes, speaking in a voice choked with emotion, spoke of his own reliance on services like the food pantry when he was a new immigrant and a struggling student and of the widespread need for such services today. “Food insecurity among college students is a national phenomenon that, sadly, some students here on our campus also experience,” he said.  “We strive to provide a dependable resource for members of our campus community who may be experiencing food insecurity to access food. This bright space and central location are intentional and aim to ensure that this critical resource is accessible and welcoming to all.” 

The pantry opening is the culmination of more than a year of strategic development among the chancellor, university administration, and the Amherst Survival Center and the work of two previous food security working groups assembled by the Dean of Students Office.  

UMass Amherst’s anti-hunger efforts have been guided by the Dean of Students Office Basic Needs initiatives in partnership with UMass Dining, students and student groups, faculty, and staff.    

“Our students should be able to fully focus on their education and careers, not worried about when they’re next going to eat,” said Governor Maura Healey. “It’s great that UMass Amherst is opening this campus food pantry to make sure no student goes hungry. This aligns with our efforts to make breakfast and lunch in K-12 schools free across the state and launch an Anti-Hunger Task Force. I’m grateful for the strong leadership of Chancellor Reyes and the UMass community to support their students.” 

“Students should be focused on academic excellence—not whether they can afford to buy lunch,” said Congressman Jim McGovern. “It’s unconscionable that one in three students goes hungry in the richest country in human history. This is a nationwide issue, and I’m thrilled that the University of Massachusetts Amherst is stepping up to ensure that every member of their community has access to healthy food. Whilethere’s still much work to do in the fight to end hunger on college campuses, this is a great step towards ensuring that every student stays fed—giving everyone an equal shot at success.” 

“Higher education affordability and accessibility extends beyond tuition, fees, books and supplies,” said StateSenator Jo Comerford. “The opening of this pantry signals that UMass and the Amherst Survival Center understand that we must also focus on food security. This pantry embodies the best of who we are as a region. As Washington retreats, these partners are leaning in—toward dignity, nourishment, justice and hope.” 

Stocked with perishable and non-perishable staples—including meat, dairy, grains, produce and ready-to-eat items, the pantry will include foods that can be prepared both by shoppers with and without full kitchen access, and foods that meet the cultural and dietary needs of the diverse community on-campus and beyond.  

The Campus Pantry will also help create capacity at the Amherst Survival Center’s main site to support continued rise in use, especially as cuts to federal programs like SNAP and Medicaid increase need in the broader community, officials said.  

“We want college students focusing on their studies, not worrying about where their next meal will come from,” said Lev BenEzra, Amherst Survival Center executive director. “This on-campus pantry will serve more students—and serve them better—as it’s tailored to their unique needs. It will also provide easy food access to employees who are food insecure. Access to food is a basic human right, and this partnership between theuniversity and the Amherst Survival Center will improve the food security of the campus community, providing between 250,000-400,000 meals worth of groceries to more than 2,000 people in its first year.” 

The North Pleasant Street location will also act as a hub for the Dean of Students Office basic needs initiative, centralizing access to the pantry as well as other campus services such as the Student Care Supply Closet,the student-run Food Recovery Network, and initiatives to educate students about campus and communitybasic needs resources. 

Operating hours for the Campus Pantry are Tuesday and Thursday 1-7 p.m., Friday 12-4 p.m. and Saturday 10-4 p.m. Participants can register online or in-person and shop the same day.

For more information, visit: www.amherstsurvival.org/campus–pantry/  

Scenes from the The Campus Pantry:Amherst Survival Center at UMass Open House Following the Ribbon Cutting on National Food Bank Day, September 5, 2025.