Dec. 13, 2022
January ‘Pack the Pantry’ Drive Needs Support from Campus Community
The annual Pack the Pantry drive will take place at CWU during the month of January and your support is needed!
The annual on-campus food drive at CWU will be held throughout the month of January, and the Wildcat Pantry needs help from faculty, staff, students, and community members.
All month long, Central’s food relief organization will be looking to Pack the Pantry with non-perishable food, clothing, household goods, hygiene products, and other essentials for members of the Wildcat community who need extra support this winter.
Starting January 3rd, faculty and staff are encouraged to contribute whatever they can to support the Wildcat Pantry, which has served nearly 700 individuals (a 77% increase over last year) and distributed more than 5,500 items since it reopened in the fall of 2021. The organization has 18 active volunteers and is run by Wildcat Pantry Coordinator Jaeda Nelson.
The CWU campus chapter of PUSH—Presidents United to Solve Hunger—manages a food pantry and provides volunteer opportunities and community engagement events surrounding food justice. Their motto is: “Food is Fuel. Food is Community. Food is Freedom.”
“Students who use the pantry are practicing self-care and sustainability, and we get the privilege to support them as they attend CWU,” Nelson said. “Our work is to help them reach self-actualization and achieve their dreams!”
The first week of the Pack the Pantry drive will focus on non-perishable food items, with an emphasis on cultural foods. Week two will center around gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan nonperishable food; week three will focus on hygiene and household products; and week four will be the Big PUSH, where any of the above items can be delivered.
Donated items can be dropped off at the following locations:
- Brooks Library 101C
- Black Hall 105, DEC
- Shaw-Smyser 4th floor
- Barge 305, CWU President's Office
- Boullion 206
- Health Science 2nd floor reception office
- SURC Service Desk
- Cat Trax West, SURC
- Medical Center, reception
- Hogue 115
- University Police and Public Safety Office
- L&L First Floor South Side
- International Building lounge
Cash donations will also be accepted on the PUSH webpage (click on "Give to PUSH" and type “For Wildcat Pantry”). Contributions of all kinds are needed throughout the year to support the organization, and next month’s food drive is just the beginning of a sustained effort.
To learn more about the program, distribution hours, and more, visit the Campus Resources page. You may also email the Wildcat Pantry.
Media Contact: David Leder, Department of Public Affairs, David.Leder@cwu.edu, 509-963-1518