This year I have been volunteering with the Pop Up Pantry on campus. At first we would meet up to talk about what we could to spread the word. Things like social media and reaching out to student government and other student organizations was crucial in making the pop up pantry known and accessible. When I went in to help Yarra I was mainly taking stock of what was in the shelves and what we had in the overflow closet. The 2015 products were obviously a priority because of the expiration date and we arranged the overflow closet according to that. I did a lot of double checking the cans and expiration date months to see if they had expired or if there were any tears or rips in the packaging of the products in which case I would have to throw them away. Every month we had to throw away an excess amount of food and weigh it before throwing it out to the garbage bins. I’ll admit that while I was sitting on the floor reading every single can and package I wanted to just assume all of them weren’t expired but then every so often I would find a package that was expired and it would keep me in check. Although it was tedious work I would occasionally see a student come in for food products and such and then I would realize the importance of checking every single food product because that student deserved better.
The food pantry is located in Sub 1 on the second floor so it is well hidden so it gives the students the privacy they want. I noticed that the products that are donated are usually cans and soups and the products that were always on low stock were the hygienic products such as pads, toothpaste, toothbrushes etc. As a woman, I know when I am on my period I’m already feeling gross and touchy from the side effects of menstruation but to not have the hygienic products to ease those side effects is absurd. I never think to donate pads or tampons and such because it’s not an everyday need that I think about because I’m privileged enough to have it, but if you think about the expense tampons and basic necessities likewise are extremely expensive and add up. Products like toothpaste and brush and shampoo are important because they affect other areas in your life such as social dynamics, stress, and self esteem. If you weren’t able to shower or have a pad for your period you aren’t going to want to be around people because you might be embarrassed which then can lead to stress and mental and emotional health.
Last year I took a sustainability course and in it we explored homelessness here at GMU- this was before I was aware of the pop up pantry. There were 4 group members in my group and we split up and asked different offices around campus asking if we knew a student was homeless what we should do. What we found out was incredible-the university got angry with us and dismissed us, told us there was no such thing, or had no idea where to point us. This is a huge issue because if I was fighting for basic necessities the last thing I would want is to be moved from office to office without any help. We were pointed to the Catholic Community and WAVES-and although they had great resources for off campus they didn’t know of any necessities for on campus. We ended up seeing Yarra comment on a social media post about a man who was a student here at GMU and didn’t know where to turn to for help. Yarra commented saying he should email her and she would do her best to help. As a result of her work and all of the volunteers countless students have been getting their bare necessities that are needed in order to get through not only college but set the foundations of their life. We discovered that there were forums of homeless students that would post which buildings were open at night and at what times so they could sleep inside away from the cold. A lot of students slept in their cars and used the showers at the gyms or so on. This, like stated before can affect your academic, social, emotional, physical and mental abilities.
The best part of my work was being able to see the hard work of Yarra and the volunteers getting paid off. Not only that but seeing the amount of food that is donated is significant and extremely appreciated. I remember one day me and another girl re-organized the entire overflow pantry according to its expiration date and category of food. It took us a while but in doing so we were able to see all of the goods that were donated and seeing the importance of what types of food were donated.
In general I am extremely happy I was able to spend time at the food pantry because I was able to make that facility better for those who need it. Not only that but I got to be a part of something that benefits people my age who are working hard to earn their future-but don’t have all the resources needed. We all have a back story but I am just glad that there are people out there like Yarra that truly care about such social causes.
Blogger: Kayla Hanigan
Photo: From Pop Up Pantry Website
Social Action and Integrative Learning 