New Campus Food Pantry Serves 2300 in First Months

Source: UMass News and Media

In its first semester of operation, the Campus Pantry: Amherst Survival Center at UMass has seen demand surge far beyond early expectations, serving more than 2,300 people since opening on Sept. 6.

The pantry, a partnership between UMass Amherst and the Amherst Survival Center, offers weekly, grocery-store-style access to fresh produce and nonperishable foods for anyone with a UMass affiliation. Staff expected a gradual rollout. Instead, opening day brought an immediate rush.

“We thought it might be a slow start,” says Carleen Basler, interim executive director of the Survival Center. “Oh, not at all. It was very successful right from the get-go.”

Sam Guerin, the center’s director of finance and operations, says the team anticipated weeks of ramp-up. “But really right out of the gate … we served 173 households in the pantry on the first day of service,” he said.

From opening through November, 2,379 individuals and 1,551 households used the pantry, totaling more than 8,700 visits. More than 113,000 pounds of food—the equivalent of roughly 94,000 meals—were distributed.

Graduate students, household members, and off-campus residents make up a significant share of visitors. Nearly 2,000 off-campus community members have used the pantry in less than three months.

The pantry recorded its busiest day yet on Thursday, Dec. 4, serving 222 households, after a snowstorm shuttered operations for a day earlier in the week.

Both Basler and Guerin note that the pantry’s design is central to reducing stigma and creating a familiar, comfortable environment. 

“Our intent was to make it as close to a true grocery store experience as possible,” Guerin says.

The pantry’s weekly access model has also drawn members of the campus community away from the Survival Center’s main site in North Amherst, creating needed capacity there. Many previously came during the Survival Center’s busiest evening hours.

“When students were able to shop and make appointments and do things differently [at the campus pantry], it made space for even more people to come to us,” Basler says.

National data show one in three college students face food insecurity. Rising living costs and concern over potential federal SNAP reductions have also contributed to growing demand.

“Every day, students and staff are making decisions about how they’re going to spend their resources,” Basler explains. “If I can get two weeks’ worth of food for everybody in my household, that gives me some breathing room to pay for my medication, maybe to pay for my books.”

Campus support has also been immediate. A fall food drive brought in more than 2,000 pounds of donations. Basler says such contributions do more than stock shelves. 

“Food drives help the community feel as though they’re participating in the success of reducing food insecurity,” she points out, adding that they also enhance the variety of items that guests will find on pantry shelves.

The pantry operates with four staff members, work-study students, and a volunteer pool so large there is now a waitlist.

Looking forward, staff plan to continue gathering feedback and strengthening ties across campus.

“We’re always going to solicit feedback,” Basler says. “How can we make this better for you?”

The Campus Pantry is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 7 p.m., Fridays from noon to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., including during the winter recess. Participants may register online or in person.