November marks one year since the beginning of the Gamecock Pantry for students. Now located in McBryde Quadrangle A, the idea started in the minds of students.
When Chase Mizzell became student body president in spring 2013, he worked with Carolina Dining Services' Marketing Manager Cynthia Steel to make the food pantry a reality. When it started in Nov. 2013, Claire Kimpton was the director, Rachel Smith helped with operations and other students helped with marketing and volunteering in the pantry.
"The goal we started planning for in spring of 2013 was to be a place where students in need could get help meeting their basic needs of food," said Smith, the current director. "The goal was gearing it towards students and doing all that we could to make sure that those basic needs were met."
The goal of Gamecock Pantry has not changed since then.
Smith says one of the biggest obstacles is getting the word out about it, and then getting students to avoid the stigma attached to seeking help.
Any student with a valid CarolinaCard can select up to ten food items from the pantry each week. The Gamecock Pantry is open Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings.
To help students find out about these services, the pantry has been running the "Everybody Eats" campaign during the past year. This campaign gives information on what the pantry does to campus offices where students would seek help, such as the Counseling Center and Office of Student Conduct. The aim of this campaign is to convey the message that the food source doesn’t matter as long as the basic need is met.
Even though students are asked to fill out a form and describe their needs, keeping every student’s needs and visits secret is a priority for the Gamecock Pantry.
The pantry is operated by 20 regular student volunteers, making it entirely student-run.
"Students run the leadership, and they volunteer their time during operating hours. Students donate and students are the ones being helped," Smith said. "I think it's important for students that come in to know that students provide this program because they care."
According to Smith, the goal for the pantry’s second year is continuing to make their services known to students. If the client base becomes steadier, Smith is hoping they can look into refrigeration for fresh produce.