By Isaac Piper
On October 30th 2024, the Tri-C Eastern Campus Food Pantry officially moved into its new location. Nearly four months later, the benefits of the upgrades are evident. The transition from a small closet to a dedicated room has brought multiple new opportunities. To fill out the new space, refrigerators have been added. The Pantry is now able to give out produce, frozen food, and a limited selection of cold beverages. In addition to cold items, the space is now able to hold an increased amount of dry foods and cleaning supplies.
The location change also brought with it an increased awareness of the Food Pantry. Previously, the Pantry was near the Student Engagement Office until moved to its new home directly neighboring the cafeteria. This placement is a high traffic area where it is in full view to both those who use it, and those who might donate to it. In the past four months, the Pantry has seen a large increase in donations which Pantry Liaison Tyler Jordon attributes to the new location. To further help with donations, a number of donation boxes have been placed throughout campus.
Jordan states the upgrades have helped “a significant amount” of excess students compared to before. One of these students is Unique Holms. Being a new student at Tri-C, Unique had a lot of expenses. Between textbooks and tuition, she had a lot on her plate. Out of all the goods available, Unique benefited from produce the most. This would not have been possible without the Pantry’s size upgrade, which allowed for the addition of said produce. Unique specifically highlights this improvement, stating, “the upgrades at the Eastern Food Bank supported me until I was fortunate enough to not need to use it.”
While the improvements in the Food Pantry are undeniable, further improvements are always welcome. Through its partnership with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the Eastern Food Bank only gets stocked every two weeks. When asked about this stock, Pantry Liaison Tyler Jordan emphasized the need for more donations, specifically produce. Jordan also comments that the part that could be improved further is the quantity of shelving. Asking students about potential enhancements led to a different result. While many spoke of a general increase in stock, a large number cited they would like to see an increase in the cold beverage selection.
The improvements to the Food Pantry have irrefutably helped more students than it could before, but through community donations it can reach new heights. Every donation directly enhances the lives of students.
