TCNJ has big plans for helping students struggling with food insecurity on campus. A commonly overlooked problem, about one third of college students do not have enough to eat, according to 2017 survey published by the Wisconsin HOPE lab. TCNJ hopes to services this issue by starting a food pantry on campus.

Ideas for a food pantry began in 2015. Then EOF director Shawn Stilliance reached out to to of the CARE program, looking for a way to help support students struggling with food insecurity.

The pantry will begin small, stocking its shelves with only non perishable items. Looking to the future there is talk of also providing hygiene products and even clothes for students.

This fall a joint faculty and student committee was put together to further efforts. Help is also being received from Mercer Street Friends, a human services agency that provides services for people facing the impacts of poverty.

The biggest challenge right now is securing a location for the pantry. Once the physical needs of the pantry have been met everything is set to be up and running. It is expected the pantry will be fully functioning as soon as fall 2019.