Flashes Fighting Hunger
Flashes Fighting Hunger at Kent State University is a student-powered and volunteer-driven organization dedicated to reducing food waste and promoting food security.
Utilizing recovered food, shared kitchen space in Tri-Towers, and volunteers who want to make a difference, Flashes Fighting Hunger is able to host multiple food pantries on-campus each week. It also is able to prepare 250+ nutritious meals for those struggling with food insecurity. The organization also collaborates with the Center for Nutrition Outreach at Kent to provide fresh food for the Mighty Pack program, has a weekly presence at the Haymaker Farmers’ Market, and provides fresh food to the Kent State CARES Center.
- Weekly Food Pantries
- Mobile Food Pantry
- Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
- Campus Kitchen
- Drive-thru Food Distribution
- Partners
Weekly Food Pantries
Open to all members of the Kent State and surrounding community:
Tri Towers Rotunda 1475 Leebrick Dr. You’ll find us at the door of the intersection of Leebrick Dr. and Senhauser Dr., behind the PARTA bus stop.
Click here to access a map.
Weekly food distribution shifts are open to all members of the Kent State and surrounding community. Although we have a basic intake process for first time users consisting of requesting basic information (name, date of birth, address and telephone number if applicable), no proof of income or residency is ever required.
Spring 2023 Pantry Schedule:
Tuesdays and Fridays:
- Appointments: 3:00-5:30 p.m.
- Walk-Ins: 5:30-6:00 p.m.
Please schedule your time by visiting the following link: Schedule Flashes Fighting Hunger Food Pantry
If you are a current Kent State student and continue to experience food insecurity or have challenges meeting your basic needs, please contact the CARES Center at Kent State.
Mobile Food Pantry
The Mobile Food Pantry launched in the fall of 2021 thanks to the generous support of community donors and Kent State’s Culinary Services, who donated the box truck for food security efforts. The Mobile Pantry will expand food access to pockets of the Portage County community that face challenges to utilizing current resources such as lack of transportation or residing in food deserts. Any person or organization interested in hosting a pop-up pantry with our mobile unit should email community@kent.edu to inquire.
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
| Day | Event | Time | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, November 14 |
Deliver Meijer Bags to Kent Neighborhoods for "Stuff the Truck" Food Drive |
Monday, November 14th, 12-1 p.m. |
|
Help us promote Wednesday's "Stuff the Truck" event by dropping off paper grocery bags to houses in Kent neighborhoods. Community members can fill the grocery bags with donated items and drop them off Wednesday. Transportation not provided. |
Monday, November 14 through December 9 |
Winter Coat and Clothing Drive |
Donation Bins:
Winter Warm-Up Stations (take what you need to stay warm!):
|
The Winter Coat and Clothing Drive is coordinated by Kent State's CARES Center, Career Exploration and Development, Community Engaged Learning, Kent Student Center, Design Innovation, LaunchNET, the Office of Sustainability, Undergraduate Student Government, and the Women's Center. This initiative collects clean, gently used or new items for all ages including warm clothing, hats, gloves, scarves and sweaters. Those wishing to donate can look for large boxes with Winter Coat and Clothing Drive signs at the locations listed to the left. Winter coat and clothing donations will go to the Winter Warm Up Stations and the Phyllis Zumkehr Portage County Clothing Center, which provides items to homeless individuals, families, elderly, and veterans in need free of charge. |
|
Monday, November 14 |
Service in a Flash: Making T-Shirt Tote Bags | 5:00-6:30PM | Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE), Rm. 143 | Volunteers will connect with each other and create t-shirt tote bags for the Flashes Fighting Hunger food pantry. Register here. |
Tuesday, November 15 |
Deliver Meijer Bags to Kent Neighborhoods for "Stuff the Truck" Food Drive | 2:00-3:00PM | Meet at Rm. 132 in the Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE) where we will provide flyers, grocery bags, and your route. |
Help us promote Wednesday's "Stuff the Truck" event by dropping off paper grocery bags to houses in Kent neighborhoods. Community members can fill the grocery bags with donated items and drop them off Wednesday. Transportation not provided. |
| Tuesday, November 15 | "Responding to Homelessness in Kent" Discussion | 5:30PM-7:00PM | CUE KeyBank Lounge |
Join us for "Responding to Homelessness in Kent," a discussion with Kent city officials regarding ongoing work to support unhoused individuals in Kent. The program will be led by 2021-2022 Newman Civic Fellow Makayla Sejat. As part of her fellowship, Makayla worked with city officials to create the "Gathering on Homelessness" series of meetings where Kent's Fire and Police Chiefs, Health Commissioner, and representatives from the Kent Free Library, PARTA, Kent State, and other organizations regularly meet to discuss how they can work together to better support unhoused individuals. |
Wednesday, November 16 |
Stuff the Truck Food Drive | 9:00AM-3:00PM | Parking Lot of Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (Entrance at 320 S. Lincoln Ave.) |
All members of the Kent State and surrounding community are invited to participate by driving through the parking lot and dropping off non-perishable food and toiletry items. Collect all the non-perishable food and toiletry items you can and bring them by! We hope to see you there. |
| Friday, November 18 | Service in a Flash: Making T-Shirt Tote Bags | 12:30-1:45PM | Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE), Rm. 143 | Volunteers will connect with each other and create t-shirt tote bags for the Flashes Fighting Hunger food pantry. Register here. |
| Friday, November 18 | Can Sculpture Competition |
11:00AM-4:00PM (judging & winner announcement from 3:30PM-4:00PM) |
CUE KeyBank Lounge |
Registered teams will design and build a structure made of non-perishable food items, toiletries, etc. Groups will incorporate the "Hunger Around the Globe" theme into their design. All donatable items used during the creation of each group's sculpture will be given to the Flashes Fighting Hunger pantry. Stop by the CUE KeyBank Lounge Friday afternoon and marvel at the creative sculptures! |
| Saturday, November 19 | Hunger & Homelessness Day of Action |
1:00-4:00PM |
CUE KeyBank Lounge |
Join us for a special Day of Action focused on Hunger and Homelessness to round out the week! Learn about local responses to hunger and homelessness and support organizations doing meaningful work in our community. Transportation is included! Register here. |
Campus Kitchen
The Campus Kitchen is our hub of operations. Generously donated to us for use by Dining Services, it is located on the second floor of Tri-Towers. Hundreds of volunteers from the campus and surrounding community participate in service through food recovery, sorting, meal prep, and cooking shifts in the kitchen each year. Engaging in service-learning, the Campus Kitchen also hosts future nutrition majors through weekly cooking shifts, giving them invaluable hands-on learning and access to professional grade kitchen equipment. Please click the link above if you’d like to volunteer in our Campus Kitchen.
Drive-thru Food Distribution
The Kent State Drive-thru Food Distribution is every third Wednesday of the month from 1-3 PM in the parking lot of Dix Stadium. Each month Flashes Fighting Hunger partners with the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank to provide a large-scale food distribution for all members of the community. Anyone is welcome to receive boxes of supplemental groceries and no proof of income or residency is necessary. The food distribution is contactless and volunteers will place food items in vehicles.
Partners
Thanks to the generous support of local food donors and volunteers, thousands of students, faculty, staff and community members benefit from the Flashes Fighting Hunger program each year.
Donors:
- Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
- Co Bank
- Haymaker Farmers’ Market
- Hillel at Kent State
- Meijer
- Portage Community Foundation
- Trader Joes
- United Christian Ministries
- Countless individuals and KSU groups throughout the community!
Benefactors:
- Center of Hope
- Kent Social Services
- Kentway Apartments
- Portage Metropolitan Housing Authority
- Trinity Lutheran Church
- Upper Room Ministries