Kent State University’s Women’s Center will hold its next food drive called Squirrel Away Food for the Pantry from Sept. 15-30. Donations will be accepted at the Women's Center, located in the Williamson House on the Kent Campus (1200 E. Main St., Kent), on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Donations can include nonperishable food items, diapers, personal and feminine care products, and cookware and utensils.
The Pantry at the Women’s Center also seeks volunteers.
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All of the resources provided through the pantry are due to the incredible generosity of members of the community.
As a new school year begins, some members of the university community may face food insecurity, which is an often unseen but real issue. According to a study conducted in 2014 by Amber Gorman, a Kent State master’s student, nearly 50 percent of students surveyed identified they were food insecure. Food insecurity is when a person does not have reliable access to nutritious and affordable food. Students, faculty and staff who suffer from food insecurity should feel comfortable knowing that there are resources right here on campus.
Kent State’s Women's Center has been helping to combat food insecurity at Kent State with its food pantry that was established in 2010. The Pantry at the Women’s Center offers a reliable source of food to students, faculty and staff who are in need. The pantry started out as just two small cupboards, but over the years, it has expanded into a spacious area filled with multiple shelves of food organized into their corresponding food groups. After receiving feedback from the university community, the pantry now provides diapers, feminine and personal care products. Recently, the pantry paired up with community nonprofit Recycle Pots & Pans to provide kitchen items, such as pots, pans and utensils to pantry guests.
The Women's Center is focused on the idea of sharing through its Share Project, which encourages the center to share with the Kent State community and the community to share in return.
“This is what we do as a part of the community,” says Cassandra Pegg-Kirby, assistant director of the Women’s Center. “It's not just about one person. It's give and take, so everybody benefits. This brings a sense of togetherness and openness to the already comforting space, giving visitors a welcoming atmosphere and a reliable source of help.”
The Pantry at the Women’s Center is open to guests on Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
For more information about Kent State’s Women’s Center, call 330-672-9230, email wc@kent.edu or visit www.kent.edu/womenscenter.