Sophia White and Grace LaTourelle-

There is a need for students on the Gustavus campus to have better accessibility to food and cleaning/toiletry supplies. The cost of living for college students can quickly stack up, especially if students aren’t supported financially by another party. Many students work two to three jobs, both on-campus and off-campus. So, the Chaplain’s Office paired up with United Christian Ministries to answer the call.

The Gustie Pantry, a free food and toiletries pantry located on the lower level of Old Main, will be open Thurs., Sept.19th, 2024, following the Blessing of the Pantry event during Chapel Break that day. The Pantry is a Chaplains Office sponsored project, maintained by United Christian Ministries. United is the umbrella organization that oversees the various Christian orgs on campus, including Sunday Worship Community, Gustavus Youth Outreach, the Catholic Gusties, Proclaim, Prepare, Delight, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Cru. The Pantry, while overseen by United, will be maintained each month by a rotating schedule of organizations and clubs. These orgs include the previously stated United ones, but United is also hopes to partner with other organizations on campus, both religiously affiliated and not.

Food insecurity is a real issue that affects college students. According to national statistics from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, “…professor Melissa Laska’s research estimates that one in four college students in Minnesota is food insecure.”

The Gustie Pantry aims to meet the needs of the Gustavus community. The Pantry might be utilized for instances when a student runs out of money in their meal plan at the end of the month and cannot afford to go over the amount. Students who live off-campus or do not have a meal plan might not be able to afford groceries on top of the cost of education. These are real needs within the community that should be addressed. Only having access to the Bookmark, HyVee, and Family Fresh is not an option for everyone, so in creating another option, this group hopes that the issue of food insecurity and lack of resources to free toiletry/cleaning supplies will aid the student population at Gustavus that needs this the most.

Students are able to bring in donations to stock the pantry. Suggested donations include nonperishable food items, such as cans of soup, ramen or mac and cheese containers, and cereal, as well as toiletries; such as menstrual products, razors and shaving cream, and laundry supplies. These donations can be placed in the drop boxes located in the Chaplains’ Office and the Chapel.

If donations cannot be used in the pantry, they will be donated to the St. Peter Food Shelf or other area food shelves. All donations must be unopened to be accepted. Monetary donations, cash or check, are also accepted. The memo line of checks should read “Gustie Pantry.”

The Gustie Pantry will be an anonymous resource, free for use during regular Old Main building hours. The Pantry will receive maintenance, such as stocking and inventory, during a one-hour period once per week. There will be a sign on the outside of the door during this hour to let people know maintenance is underway, however, students are still welcome to come in and grab what they need. This is a protocol so that students may maintain anonymity. Student privacy is important and deserves to be given to them, especially when they are in need of accessible supplies for their life on this campus.

Students who use the pantry will also be asked to indicate on a sheet of paper what they grabbed and the number of the item(s) taken from the pantry. They will not be asked for any identifying information; this is solely to be used for inventory purposes. There will also be bags provided that students can put their items in. It is recommended that students take seven items or less, but above all, students should take what they need, even if that number exceeds seven.

Each and every student at Gustavus deserves to feel full, clean, and satiated. This should not have to be a concern while students are attending this school. As a result of putting this pantry into action, it is with best wishes that all the students on campus feel this way and feel loved by this community.

To reach its full potential for students, any questions or suggestions relating to the pantry can be directed to the Chaplain’s Office at chaplainsoffice@gustavus.edu or United Christian Ministries, through the President’s email gracelatourelle@gustavus.edu.

The Chaplains Office and United Christian Ministries would like to remind students that all are welcome in those spaces during the Chapel Break Blessing of the Gustie Pantry and especially the Pantry itself and that this work is to serve the Gustavus community and their needs. Thank you to Gustavus staff, faculty, and students for aiding in this mission.

– Grace LaTourelle & Soph White, United Christian Ministries