By: Addison Sullivan
December 10, 2024
Sami Groves, OU sophomore and OU Food Pantry volunteer passing out pamphlets to students on the South Oval at the University of Oklahoma campus. PHOTO: Addison Sullivan.
In light of the recent increase of students at the University of Oklahoma, the OU Food Pantry has been busier than ever.
Since the University of Oklahoma switched to the SEC (Southeastern Conference), an increase of students has been brought to campus. Meaning more need for housing, classrooms, and more mouths to feed. The University’s Food Pantry has operated on campus and provided for students and faculty since its establishment in 2017.
“I grew up in a rural area where food was hard to come by, so my goal as a volunteer is to help the community and make sure no one has to go through that struggle alone,” says Sami Groves, OU sophomore and Food Pantry volunteer. Sami works a few days out of each week to help organize pre-prepared meals from the dining halls to pass out at the OU Food Pantry.
According to a survey conducted in 2020, about 29% of college students at four-year colleges experienced food insecurity. The OU Food Pantry is working to change that statistic. Serving over 400 students each week, a team of 90 volunteers works to provide for any student or faculty who may need necessities.
Sami Groves, alongside other volunteers, tending the OU Food Pantry table outside of Dale Hall at the University of Oklahoma campus. PHOTO: Addison Sullivan.
The organization does receive some funding from their partners such as the OU Federal Credit Union, Feed the Children, Sharing Tree, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, Crest, and the Inasmuch Foundation. The funding received from these organizations keeps the OU Food Pantry running, alongside the executive team and volunteers who run food drives and other events on campus all throughout the semester.
Oklahoma food banks provide 69 million pounds of food for 57 million meal a year to hungry Oklahomans. In fact, Oklahoma food banks provide enough food to feed over 160,000 Oklahomans each week including 59,200 Oklahoman children.
Even so, the organization is unable to provide more than their maximum of 400 students weekly. With our current population of 34,523 students, only %1.6 of students are provided for by the pantry on a weekly basis.
“All of the money we receive from donors goes straight into the goods we buy to provide for the community. So, we have the added pressure of when the economy and market aren’t doing as good as they could be. This makes it difficult to buy some of the goods we need to really help the community, ” says Royce Coleman, Student Director of the OU Food Pantry, when asked about the pressure to provide for the community.
The OU Food Pantry has to rely upon donations to be able to produce the goods needed for the community, without them there would be no income or supplies.
“There’s already been a few times this semester where we run low on products. Sometimes a truck can’t come in when needed or funds can’t be processed, so we’re very dependent upon those who support us,” says Matt Marks, the Assistant Director of the OU Food Pantry.
As for what’s next, the OU Food Pantry has continued their traditional food drives and events such as the Red River Food Rivalry and Fall Food Drive, in order to gather resources to provide for the increase in students. The executive team also plans to host more food drives during the upcoming spring semester.
For more information, visit the OU Food Pantry.