5X社区

Campus Kitchen Pivots Operations From Hot Meals to Food Pantry to Help Increasing Numbers of Food Insecure Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Visitors to the organization鈥檚 food pantry have more than tripled since pandemic

The Campus Kitchen at 5X社区, a student-run organization that reclaims food to feed the needy in the Kent area, has had to swiftly switch gears from operating a hot food kitchen to an expanded food pantry.

Normally, the Campus Kitchen would have about 20 visitors during its weekly pantry distributions. Over the past few months, however, that number has grown to more than 50, with an additional 20 bags of food delivered to families in need at Holden Elementary School. 

Cassie Pegg-Kirby, director of the Women鈥檚 Center at Kent State, distributes donated food on the loading dock at Beall Hall where it will be given to local families who find themselves in need during the COVID-19 crisis.

From its home kitchen inside Beall Hall on the Kent Campus, the organization distributes between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds of food to people in need every Friday between 1 and 4 p.m.

The organization, which describes itself as 鈥渁 student-powered response to hunger,鈥 was started in 2011 by a group of Kent State students after they participated in an Alternative Spring Break and learned about food waste and food insecurity. Nine years later, the Campus Kitchen is operated by volunteers that include Kent State students, faculty and staff, and members of the Kent community. Volunteers repurpose food that would otherwise go to waste from local farmers and grocers and use it to prepare hot meals and grocery bags for distribution from the food pantry.

Since the pandemic began, the Campus Kitchen has played an important role in tackling increased food insecurity in the Kent area due to escalating unemployment from the pandemic. It has been able to pivot from making full meals to only collecting and distributing food from the pantry. 

In June, Campus Kitchen received a $2,000 grant from the Portage Foundation's COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund to assist with food insecurity in the local community in the wake of the pandemic. Specifically, the money will support Campus Kitchen's partnership with Kentway Apartments, a low-income housing facility in Kent for senior citizens. 

Amanda Woodyard, director of Community Engaged Learning at Kent State, who oversees the Campus Kitchen, said the pandemic has changed the way the service operates.

鈥淟uckily we鈥檝e been able to continue recovering food four times a week from our main community partner 鈥 Trader Joe鈥檚 in Woodmere, Ohio,鈥 she said. Trader Joe鈥檚 donates food that can鈥檛 be sold because it is too close to its 鈥渟ell by鈥 date. Donated items include meats, eggs, bread, fresh fruits and vegetables.

While the Campus Kitchen cannot currently host cooking shifts to provide hot meals, the organization is still able to distribute food at its on-campus food pantry. 

鈥淲e鈥檝e moved the pantry to once a week 鈥 Fridays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 鈥 and modified the operation so that there are only two to three volunteers at a time, who handle the food with gloves,鈥 Woodyard said. 鈥淭he food is set up at the Beall Hall loading dock in a way that allows for maintaining the recommended social distancing guidelines and allows for users to drive up and go.鈥

Facial coverings are encouraged for anyone wishing to visit the pantry.

Volunteer Terri Cardy packs and weighs produce to hand out at the Campus Kitchen in Beall Hall. Cardy teaches at the Child Development Center and the College of Education, Health and Human Services.

Volunteers said nearly two-thirds of the people receiving food at the pantry were tied to the university and included students who were still in Kent or employees who needed some assistance. 

Woodyard said new visitors to the pantry require food assistance for a number of reasons. One of the personal stories she has witnessed was a single mother who has been struggling to manage expenses after her adult son passed away unexpectedly without life insurance. Another story, she said, was a couple who work for the university who have been raising their grandchildren. They sent Woodyard a note that read, 鈥淭he kitchen is a lifesaver for both of us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.鈥

Cassie Pegg-Kirby, director of the Women鈥檚 Center at Kent State; Terri Cardy, an instructor at the university鈥檚 Childhood Development Center, and her husband, Dave, are among the volunteers that Woodyard calls 鈥渇rontline heroes.鈥 

These volunteers have gotten to know the people who come in each week. They share recipes and make recommendations about uses for the ingredients they have available.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a little girl who comes in with her mom every week who can鈥檛 wait for the baby oranges,鈥 Pegg-Kirby said. 鈥淪o we make sure we save some for her.鈥 

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Cassie Pegg-Kirby, director of the Women鈥檚 Center at Kent State, carries donated food to the loading dock at Beall Hall where it will be given to local families in need.
Each person who visits the Campus Kitchen leaves with about 25 to 30 pounds of food packed in a box or a bag. Any food that is left over after Friday is given to community agencies such as Kent Social Services, Kentway Apartments or the Center of Hope. 

Pegg-Kirby said she enjoys speaking with the students who come to the Campus Kitchen, talking about their majors, how their classes are going and about their concerns. She also has spoken with members of the community and university staffers who are unsure of their job security and what the impact of this pandemic will be in the short and long term.

鈥淭his is a difficult time for many, especially with all the unknowns,鈥 Pegg-Kirby said. 鈥淏ut the pantry is not a place of sadness; it is a place of hope and community.鈥

People who want to assist the Campus Kitchen may donate money, food or their time, serving as volunteers. The Campus Kitchen accepts donations of perishable and nonperishable food. Monetary donations may be made at . Calls for volunteers, as needed, are posted on the Campus Kitchen鈥檚 and @CKPkentstate on Twitter. Email the Campus Kitchen at campuskitchen@kent.edu.
 

POSTED: Wednesday, June 24, 2020 04:28 PM
Updated: Friday, December 9, 2022 12:05 PM
WRITTEN BY:
Phil Soencksen