FGCU food pantry helps students facing food insecurity

Many remember being a broke college student surviving on ramen noodles and fast food.

But by some measures, these days, two out of five college students have trouble at some point affording both food and housing while trying to pay for school.

There’s a way you can help students trying to make a better life for themselves at FGCU.

College students need milk and butter to be able to make mac and cheese.

“Yes.. yes.. And then, obviously, we have our canned goods. A lot of students like to make their own chili,” said Samantha Lloyd.

The FGCU food pantry is a hidden gem for struggling students.

Lloyd runs it. And when she was a student, she used it.

“I started using the food pantry from 2014- to 2017, Lloyd said. “After all the bills were paid, I didn’t have enough money for food and gas. And as a commuter student, gas was important. So food was kind of put on the back burner.”

Canned foods are good, but the pantry offers more. There are refrigerated goods, meats, and goodies in the freezer all open to students who can’t afford groceries.

“We serve about 100 students a week here,” said Michelle Coulter, FGCU director of operations for administrative services.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank helps to stock the aisles.

“Harry Chapin is a huge, huge resource for us,” Lloyd said.  “They’re hungry now. They’re not hungry later; they’ll be worse off later than they are now.

“So if you could help now, please help us now.”

HOW TO HELP: 

Help us raise $450,000 to put a million meals on the tables of hungry families in Southwest Florida.

You can donate by visiting our March to a Million Meals donation page.