Ram Pantry moves to new location and Free Store makes a comeback to VCU

Selna Shi, News Editor

Ram Pantry is moving to a new location in the building Ram Tech formerly occupied on 920 West Grace St., according to Lisa Mathews-Ailsworth, associate director of student affairs.

Ram Pantry will be closed between Aug. 27 to Sept. 2 to prepare for the move into the new building. The pantry distributed double the amount of food between Aug. 20 to Aug. 26 to help students stock up in preparation for the temporary closure.

The pantry used to be located on the first floor back corner of the University Student Commons.

“It [the pantry] was in a form of a closet. It was not student friendly. The new space is designed towards students,” Mathews-Ailsworth said. “It will definitely be more of a store front than an afterthought.”

Around 35% of VCU students experience food insecurity, which is around 10,000 students on Monroe Park Campus, according to Youngmi Kim, VCU School of Social Work professor. However, less than 1% of students are using Ram Pantry.

The pantry started a surplus program a few years ago to fight the stigma surrounding receiving free food, Mathews-Ailsworth said. The program aims to reduce food waste, allowing faculties and students to donate or receive surplus breads and produce items

“Surplus food is open to any student regardless of financial need. So I don’t care if they’re a millionaire, I still encourage them to come use the pantry because we have food that goes to waste each week,” Mathews-Ailsworth said. “I’d rather have that food eaten rather than tossed. So I’m hoping that is also helping with the stigma.”

Youngmi Kim, social works professor, has been doing research on food insecurity at VCU for the past five years and recently surveyed 13 students last spring semester who have used the Little Ram Pantry.

Little Ram Pantry is a program separate from Ram Pantry, in which pantries are spread throughout campus. The purpose of the survey was to see how Little Ram Pantry has been utilized and mitigate food insecurity on campus, according to Kim. 

The research on Little Ram Pantry has not concluded yet. Kim plans on conducting another survey for her research this upcoming spring semester. 

“The [former] location is very invisible or they [freshmen] did not get the information about the pantry at the start of their school,” Kim said. “Many students also feel that they do not deserve to use the pantry.”

Mathews-Ailsworth hopes the central location will encourage more students to use the pantry.

The new location will have better shelving, a communal area and be designed to function like a pantry, according to Mathews-Ailsworth. 

“I think people will see it [the pantry] on their way to class. Our hope is that by pairing with the Free Store, it will help with the stigma,” Mathews-Ailsworth said.

Mathews-Ailsworth said that there is stigma around using a food pantry that does not come with using a thrift store. 

The Free Store, a “free thrift store” which is managed by the Office of Sustainability, stopped operating when the pandemic started, but is coming back to the same location as the Ram Pantry.

“Free Store operations were paused during the pandemic due to space constraints and staffing limitations. Since 2020, VCU Sustainability has continued to collect donations when possible diverting usable goods from landfill and preparing for reopening the Free Store this fall,” Parker Long, manager in sustainability administration and operations, stated in an email.

VCU Sustainability opened the Free Store in Fall 2019 as “an on-campus resource that promotes equitable access for students, faculty and staff to everyday needs such as school and art supplies, hourwares, electronics and more, while keeping usable goods out of landfills,” according to Long.

“Free stores across the country generally share a common philosophy, that there are plenty of things to go around,” Long stated. “Those who donate can sustainably give away things they don’t need or want, while other can find things they need without having to pay for them.” 

Long stated the store is completely donation-based, which means that the store might not have exactly what people are looking for, but aims to provide many useful items to the VCU community members.

“The items most donated and most requested are kitchen supplies, school and art supplies, small appliances and household decor. Donated items must be clean and in working condition. Clothes, bedding or upholstered items are not accepted, but we encourage the VCU community to donate these items to other local thrift stores,” Long stated.

The store accepts donations from VCU students, staff, faculty and health system team members; however, only VCU students, faculty and staff may take items from the Free Store, according to Long.

Long hopes that the Free Store provides students, faculty and staff with items needed to live, study and work at no cost.