Piedmont’s Food Pantry Brings Food and Fellowship to Campus
by Grace Wills
On a cold, rainy Wednesday in November, four people dart in and out of the back entrance of Lane Hall to a packed van. They bring tens of boxes, bags, and wagons full of fresh food inside to be sorted and shelved for a program that has quickly become one of the most popular spots on campus: Piedmont’s Food Pantry.
The people shaking the rain off themselves and beginning the work of stocking are the Student Success Center staff and student workers. This is a weekly task for them — driving to the Northeast Georgia Food Bank in Clayton, hauling the food inside, and sorting it for consumption — and today is no exception, despite the rainy weather. They sort, stack, label, and move the food with tireless energy, eager to restock their shelves with what they described as possibly their biggest food haul yet.
The size of the haul is necessary; since its inception, the Food Pantry has regularly seen hundreds of visitors per month. Just last month, there were nearly 300 visits, and as awareness spreads, more are expected.
The pantry, open to Piedmont students, faculty, and staff, began in 2022 but recently expanded as the result of an idea tossed between Director of Student Support Services Ineke Dyer and Director of Campus Experiences and Operations Chelsea Wilkes: what if Piedmont partnered with the Northeast Georgia Food Bank to bring food to campus? From there, the Student Success Center staff worked to make it happen. Now, the front lobby of Lane Hall overflows with food.
“Fresh fruits, vegetables, and bread make up a large part of our food pantry. Thanks to our partnership with the NE GA Food Bank, we're able to salvage food that would have otherwise gone to waste,” says Learning Center Coordinator Oliver Howington.
In addition to fresh food, there are hundreds of snacks and premade meal options to take home or eat on-the-go. Student feedback reflects a special appreciation for the latter: “I have snacks when I haven’t got groceries or dinner,” says one. Another comments, “This is an amazing resource… sometimes students have no time to pick up food and drink. This helps!”
The holidays can be an especially stressful time in school, especially if financial hardship is involved. The Food Pantry aims to relieve some of that stress, as Dyer comments: “With food prices continuing to climb, this food pantry hopefully alleviates some of the financial burden of accessing food/snacks and other necessities and allows our students to focus on their education without the added stress of worrying about food.” Based on the crowd that visits the pantry daily, it seems that hope is well-founded.
Before the restock is even done, students are lining up to visit the food pantry. One asks if the food pantry is ready for visitors yet. “Just a minute,” says a student worker with a smile. “Then we’ll be back to serving.”
If you would like to support Piedmont’s Food Pantry and our mission to keep all our Lions well-fed, you can give by visiting piedmont.edu/giving and designating “food pantry” in the description.