Pop-Up Food Pantry program returns to campus for fall

In response to the financial hardship imposed by the pandemic and the logistical challenge of campus buildings being closed, a team of Western staff, faculty, and students developed a pop-up pantry program last spring. The pantry provided students who visited campus throughout the spring and summer with necessary groceries for free. The program is returning this fall to provide sustainable food for those in need with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free choices and a contact-free pick-up option.

If you or someone you know needs food in this challenging time, you can visit the pantry outside the Viking Union from 2-3:30 p.m. on Fridays throughout the fall.

Western's Office of Sustainability is also focusing on the importance of sustainable food this quarter and is again facilitating the Viking-Supported Agriculture (VSA) program that connects the campus community to local food producers who deliver boxes of their fresh items, directly to campus. Getting good food to people in times of crisis and supporting local and sustainable agriculture is a highly-supportive activity that each one of us may be able to participate in for the greater good of our community. Please visit https://sustain.wwu.edu/viking-supported-agriculture for more information on the program; additional information about student assistance can be found at https://wp.wwu.edu/officeofstudentlife/covid-19-student-assistance/.