Georgia Southern’s food pantries receive $50,000 grant to better serve students in need

The food pantries on Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro and Armstrong campuses will be able to better serve students in need after receiving a $50,000 grant from Embark to enhance their services.

“Receiving the Embark Grant for the Eagle Essentials and Captain’s Cupboard Food Pantries has been a tremendous blessing for both campuses,” said Casey Weaver, assistant dean of Student Care and Well Being in the Dean of Students office, who applied for the grant.

“This grant has enabled us to elevate our services beyond offering solely non-perishable food items to now including perishable ones, thanks to the acquisition of a refrigerator and freezer for each campus.”

In addition to responding to requests from students for perishable food items, the grant will also provide resources for the pantries to manage inventory better.

“The demand for our food pantries has been steadily increasing each year, with more students seeking access every semester,” Weaver said. “Currently, we are serving over 300 students, many of whom have expressed a need for perishable food items. The grant has not only allowed us to meet this demand but has also facilitated the purchase of a food pantry software program. This software will greatly enhance our inventory management, streamline user interaction and assist us in identifying donation needs more effectively.”

Finally, funds from the grant will also allow the pantries to have dedicated marketing funds to help increase awareness of their resources to students, faculty and staff in need.

“Moreover, the Emark Grant has enabled us to invest in promotional items for our food pantries, addressing our current limitation in marketing materials due to the absence of a dedicated budget,” he said. “Despite serving a significant number of students, we recognize that there are more who may be grappling with food insecurity unaware of the resources available to them. These promotional items will play a crucial role in expanding awareness and outreach efforts, ensuring that more students benefit from our services.

Donations play a crucial role in sustaining these pantries, Weaver noted, and both the Eagle Essentials and Captain Cupboard are always accepting donations. The pantries accept donations in person, through an Amazon Wishlist or as monetary contributions via the foundation accounts. More information on donation options can be found here.

In addition to donations, volunteer efforts with pantry operations are greatly appreciated.

For donation or volunteer-related questions, email Casey Weaver at cweaver@georgiasouthern.edu for the Eagle Essentials food pantry on the Statesboro Campus or Cherie Gaume at cgaume@georgiasouthern.edu for the Captain’s Cupboard on the Armstrong Campus.

GSU