The high cost of education can make it hard to buy food and other necessities, but Salt Lake Community College students in need can stock their shelves for free.
The Bruin Pantry offers mostly nonperishable food items like canned goods, crackers, peanut butter and soups. The pantry also carries basic toiletries and feminine hygiene products, diapers and baby food. Students with a valid SLCC ID are welcome to fill two grocery bags twice a month.
Because the Bruin Pantry receives only one food delivery a month from the Utah Food Bank to cover all SLCC campuses, it relies heavily on donations from the community.
“We get a lot of canned vegetables and soups, but we really need more protein donations as well as things like macaroni and cheese, and even toiletries,” says pantry coordinator Heather Murray. “But really, anything helps.”
In addition to macaroni and cheese, the most needed items include canned tuna or chicken, juice, peanut butter, cereals and snacks like granola bars, nuts, and dried fruit.
To increase the supply of hygiene products at the pantry, Student Services and the Thayne Center for Service Learning are currently organizing a toiletry drive through Tuesday, Feb. 7.
“They will be taking donations of hygiene products to make hygiene kits that will be available the second week of March at the pantry,” Murray says.
The Bruin Pantry is located in room 2-152 at South City Campus. Donations can be given to pantry volunteers during operating hours. If the pantry is closed, items can be placed in the black tub outside the door. Donors can visit the campus information desk for additional drop-off locations.
The Bruin Pantry is always seeking volunteers to collect and stock donations and run the pantry. The pantry is flexible and allows students to choose convenient volunteer hours.
Hours of operation may be expanded as more volunteers are added. Anyone interested in volunteering can email bruincampuspantry@gmail.com for more information.
