YPSILANTI, Mich. – Between 80 to 100 student shoppers visit Eastern Michigan University’s no-cost Swoop Pantry for food and household items every day.
To keep up with demand, the Ypsilanti university is having the Stock Swoop’s Shelves food drive between March 4-22 to keep the panty’s shelves full.
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Officials said the number of students using the pantry has doubled since last year and is expected to continue increasing.
“The increased demand highlights the crucial role Swoop’s Pantry plays in providing food security for our student population,” said Swoop Food Pantries Advisory Board member Nick Pomante in a release. “We rely heavily on the generosity of our community to keep our shelves stocked and meet the needs of our growing number of users.”
But it’s not just students who can use this resource. Any faculty, researcher, lecturer or staff member with a valid EMU ID can utilize the food pantry.
The student-led food pantry relies on in-kind food donations by Food Gatherers, donors or food drives. It uses funds raised by drives to buy items when stock runs low. Swoop’s is student-led and all of the food is donated either in kind from Food Gatherers or through food drives and individual donations.
EMU students and Washtenaw County residents interested in supporting Swoops can collect nonexpired and non-perishable food items. Items can be dropped off at different locations at EMU, or items can be picked up from local porches by Swoops staff.
Money can be given to the food pantry through its website, which also has an Amazon wishlist with items needed by the food pantry.
Most-needed items include rice, pasta and pasta causes, condiments, snacks, coffee, milk, tea, juice, canned proteins, soup, pet food, personal hygiene items and household items (like garbage bags and toilet paper).