IUPUI may have been split into two universities recently, but the on-campus pantry there remains poised to fight food insecurity at both.
Students, staff and faculty at IU Indianapolis and Purdue in Indianapolis can continue using the Paws’ Pantry to access food. The only thing that has changed at the pantry is the use of crimson cards.
“Now, it’s mainly going to be email sign on. So, Purdue students will still have an IU cast login, so they’ll be able to make appointments and come and shop, just as they normally would. It’ll just be different on our end, when we track the data,” said Andrea Widener, who is the pantry coordinator at Paws’ Pantry at IU Indianapolis.
Paws’ Pantry provides food to busy college students and staff in Indianapolis.
Paws’ Pantry remains fully booked with about 360 appointments a week. Widener said a majority of those appointments are made from students, and about 50 staff or faculty on average are also served.
The centralized, on-campus location is a boost for busy folks who need access to food and other supplies.
“We’re definitely a commuter campus. We have a lot of non-traditional-age students, parents who are returning — just parenting students as a whole,” Widener said.
The pantry is of particular benefit to international students. Despite a small stipend, most international students have to navigate expensive apartments, lack of transportation, VISA applications and work restrictions that can lead to food insecurity.
“I think that one of the biggest struggles is they really can’t work anywhere other than on campus. And there’s very few on campus jobs that you can get. And then, when you graduate, you pretty much only have, like, six months to find a job. And then, you have to go back to your region, where then you have to be paying on your student loans from another country,” Widener said.
The pantry offers food for a variety of diet types, like gluten-free mac and cheese.
In addition to learning a new culture — and often a new language — Widener said international students must also get used to the new food in America. Often, international students have a hard time accessing the same quality of fresh produce that they have at home.
Refrigerators provided by Gleaners are helping to meet that need.
“Gleaners provides free produce, which is super helpful,” Andrea said. “I try to select a variety, which Gleaners is really helpful with because there’s always something new every time I select product.”
We’re proud to support this pantry and the students they serve, as they work to succeed in school!