Responding to increased food insecurity among students, a trend that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is launching a Student Food Pantry at the SMC Campus Center. The pantry, set to open this fall, is located in the newly renovated third-floor Student Affairs suites.
The goal of UMB’s pantry is to be a place where students can access resources that will assist them through a rough patch, whether that be food, personal items, emergency funds, or a referral to other services that can better address their needs. It will work in collaboration with existing programs such as the Hungry Harvest and Baltimore Gift Economy markets at the UMB Community Engagement Center; the University of Maryland Medical Center Farmers Market; local Maryland Food Bank locations; and UMBconnect, a resource students can use to find events around campus in their area of interest and filter for ones that also provide food.
Read more about this crucial campus resource in the October/November 2021 issue of SPOTLIGHT newsletter.
To help UMB Student Affairs in this inaugural initiative designed to support the well-being of our students and employees, and to learn more about how your contribution can improve their lives, visit https://umaryland.givecorps.com/projects/52586-campus-umb-student-food-insecurity-emergency-fund.