Wildcat Pantry
Wildcat Pantry
The Wildcat Pantry is a free resource to all CWU students providing free food, hygiene, and household products.
The Wildcat Pantry is a hub for students like you who need to grab something on the go or find those essential items for a late-night study session. Shelves stocked with hygiene products, fresh produce, pantry staples and more offer a quick solution for your busy schedule. Whether you're in between classes or need something late at night, the Wildcat Pantry is there for you, catering to the unique needs of the CWU community.
Find Us In The CWU Library Room 153Fall Quarter 2026 Hours
We will close from Sept. 10th - Sept. 23rd to prepare for Fall Quarter.
Monday - Thursday:
10:00am - 12:00pm
1:00pm - 4:00pm
*We close from 12:00pm - 1:00pm Monday - Thursday to restock our shelves.
How To Use the Wildcat Pantry
CWU students get 25 points per week. Pop in to set up your free account and start shopping today!
Grab & Go
Here's some additional information about our Grab & Go Locations
Several mini grab-and-go locations exist across:
- Black Hall: 1st Floor outside of the Multicultural Center. Supplied by the Wildcat Pantry, and CWU Dining's Food Recovery program.
- Shaw Smyser Hall: 4th Floor, CAT Center. Supplied by the Wildcat Pantry.
- Science One: 1st Floor, outside of the main elevators. Supplied by the Wildcat Pantry and CWU Dining's Food Recovery program.
- Brooks Library: 1st floor, outside of the Wildcat Pantry. Supplied by the Wildcat Pantry and CWU Dining's Food Recovery program.
Additional locations are maintained by the department they reside in and follow Wildcat Pantry guidelines. They remain available due to the leadership and support of faculty and staff in those areas. Please be aware that the main pantry location in Brooks Library provides a larger supply and variety of items to Wildcats on a consistent basis.
CWU Career Services also provides free casual clothes and a professional clothing closet at their Bouillon Office!
Scenic Snacks
A program designed to remove barriers to the outdoors.
Scenic Snacks is a program designed to support holistic wellbeing through encouraging students to explore outdoors. Providing backpackers and campers with essentials and removing barriers to one of Ellensburg, Washington's greatest offerings, the great outdoors.
To place your order, click the "Wildcat Pantry Online Storefront" button below and create a wildcat pantry account. Once an account is created you will be asked to schedule an appointment. This will serve as your designated pick up time for your order. After deciding a pick-up time you will be asked to place your order on the storefront.
We can't wait to see our wildcats explore!
*Currently this program best serves backpacking and camping. We hope to expand to single day hikes, biking and more in the future.
Wildcat Pantry Online StorefrontWeekend Refresh
Our solution to your weekend needs.
Unable to access the Wildcat Pantry during regular hours? Weekend Refresh is here for you!
Each week we will have snack packs, Hygiene Packs and a Meal kit option available for you to reserve.
To place your order, click the "Wildcat Pantry Online Storefront" button below and create a wildcat pantry account. Once an account is created you will be asked to schedule an appointment. This will serve as your designated pick up time for your order. After deciding a pick-up time you will be asked to place your order on the storefront.
Students have from the previous Friday - Monday at 5pm to place their order each week. Orders will be picked up from the Multicultural Center.
Wildcat Pantry Online StorefrontEmergency Meal Assistance
Closed for Summer Intersession and Will Return in Fall 2026
Pursuing education can be difficult, but we're here to help! The Emergency Meal Assistance program exists to provide students at the CWU-Ellensburg campus, facing short term food insecurity with $30 directly to their CWU connection card to purchase food from any CWU dining location. These funds last for 48 hours before rolling back.
Students facing long-term food insecurity are encouraged to reach out to wildcatpantry@cwu.edu or schedule an appointment with basicneeds@cwu.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who stocks the Pantries?
The Brooks Library pantry is overseen and restocked daily by the Wildcat Pantry team. Due to both staffing and funding capacity our support to mini grab and go locations has been reduced since opening the main large pantry space in the library. Current grab & go locations are supported primarily by the Wildcat Pantry and looked over by their host department, these are restocked bi-weekly. CWU Dining’s Food Recovery program stocks all locations with a refrigerator with recovered meals.
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Why can't I place my Scenic Snacks order?
If you are having trouble placing your scenic snacks order it may be because you are more than two weeks away from the next available appointment. Appointments are available each day that the pantry is open.
If you are within two weeks and having issues please email wildcatpantry@cwu.edu.
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Where do the packaged meals come from?
The Food Recovery program is a partnership between the Wildcat Pantry and CWU Dining. Every week, meals from Holmes Dining and select Central Marketplace locations are repackaged and distributed to the Wildcat Pantry, the MCC grab & go location, Science 1 grab & go location, and SURC 236.
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When is food recovery distributed?
Food recovery is distributed Monday-Friday by 10:00am. We often find that food recovery is taken by noon most days.
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How is the Pantry funded?
The Wildcat Pantry is funded through a $15 quarterly student fee assessed to all CWU-Ellensburg students, a state allocation from HB 1559, and monetary and physical donations.
Donate To The Pantry -
Where else can we go for assistance?
There are many CWU and community resources available for students, visit our resource page to learn more about them.
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Donate To The Pantry
Contact
Wildcat Pantry
Brooks Library Room 153