By Jama Abdirahman
If you’ve walked around campus recently and were wondering what the brown donation boxes in most of the buildings were for, it’s because Husky Pantry is having a food drive. The program is a resource for all University of Washington Bothell students who are facing food insecurity. Use of the pantry is anonymous, and only food that is taken is recorded.
Are you or one of your fellow students facing food insecurity? Please visit the Husky Pantry in the Husky Village Community Center, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, noon – 6 p.m. Husky Pantry is a confidential service. Contact the resident adviser on duty at 206-245-5536 or click on the website for more information.
“It started as the Husky Packs program by student Tyrell Edwards. He saw a need for assistance and came forward,” said Katie Horowitz, director of residential life and student conduct.
Edwards served as a residential adviser and director of student advocacy. He encountered an increasing number of students who needed help.
“I came across quite a few students who either were sleeping in the library because they had no place to go, dealing with food insecurity, or in need of other resources that were more long term,” said Edwards,
“I began to realize through personal experience and research that students dealing with food insecurity was an underlying issue on college campuses throughout the United States. This literally kept me up at night, and I felt the need to work toward implementing a pantry,” said Edwards, who graduated with a master’s in cultural studies in 2013.
Edwards started the program with a goal of providing nonperishable items along with community resources to help students get back on their feet.
“Students want healthy food,” said Horowitz.
Located in the kitchen of the Community Center at Husky Village, Husky Pantry is stocked with food, first aid and resource packets. A student can pick up folders, bottles of water, peanut butter, cans of vegetables, jars of pasta sauce and a variety of instant noodles.
The food drive ends March 17. You can donate nonperishable foods (pasta, sauces, rice, canned foods, peanut butter, etc.) at any of the locations below:
- UW1 next to UW1-103
- UW2 next to first floor elevator
- Discovery Hall next to Room 061
- Library first floor
