On April 14, a campus-wide email was sent out from the Oswego State Counseling and Services Center telling students that there is a growing need for donations to the on-campus food pantry.

“There is a growing population of  students on our campus who do not have enough to eat,” the email said. “The Counseling Center has a food pantry to help students in need.  However, the food in the pantry is running low, and we need to replenish it so that our students do not go hungry during this critical time as the semester comes to an end.”

Items the pantry needs the most include crackers, pasta sauce, pasta, jelly, peanut butter, Nutri-Grain bars, granola bars, macaroni and cheese cups, cereal, canned tuna fish and applesauce. The items are currently stored in a staff area at Mary Walker Health Center.

According to Katherine Wolfe-Lyga, the director of the Counseling and Services Center, the food in the pantry has previously been supplied by the counselors and is running low at this time due to “a higher rate of utilization over time.”

“Since the request, the campus community has been very generous with offering food support to keep us stocked through the end of the semester,” Wolfe-Lyga said.

Foods that are quick to prepare are the most popular among the students who use the pantry.

“We try to stock non-perishable goods that will make for easy and somewhat nutritious meals,” Wolfe-Lyga said. “Those who have used the support have mostly stuck to items that are easy to prepare or ready to eat.”

The food in the pantry “goes to any students who express a need.” According to Wolfe-Lyga, students do not need to present financial proof of need.

“These have mostly been students who had some interaction with a counselor, as this has been a previously unadvertised service,” Wolfe-Lyga said. “This is something that we have assessed, and at this time, it seems unlikely that there is anyone who is using it without a legitimate need.”

Since the service was previously advertised, many Oswego State students had no knowledge that there was a food pantry on campus.

Alexandra Whalen, a senior, was not aware of the food pantry.

“I think it’s a great idea and I would love to donate,” Whalen said. “A lot of the time, I feel like college students can be wasteful, so giving back to those who aren’t as privileged is a great idea.”

The State University of New York (SUNY) System is a part of the College and University Food Bank Alliance, which was started by Michigan State University and Oregon State University. Michigan State was the first university to open an on-campus food bank in 1993.

According to the CUFBA’s website, the alliance’s vision is, “To alleviate the barriers and challenges associated with food insecurity and hunger so that college and university students can remain in school, and ultimately, earn their degrees.”

“We are far from being the first college to do this, nor will we be the last,” Wolfe-Lyga said.

Wolfe-Lyga is pleased that the word is getting out about Oswego State’s food pantry because it is shedding light on important issues.

“The positives that have come out of the identification of this need are [that] it may serve as evidence that higher education has become more accessible for students of any socio-economic status,” Wolfe-Lyga said. “There has been a tremendous outpouring of support from the campus community in meeting this need and we recognize the opportunity to better address basic needs of our students in the future.”

According to the campus-wide email, donations can be dropped off at Mary Walker Health Center or the Counseling Services Center during regular business hours through April 22, 2016. Monetary donations can be made as well and will be accepted by Carolyn​ Kelleher in the Campus Life office, located in Marano Campus Center Room 135.