UofM to host site for Mid-South Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry Program Tuesday
April 20, 2020 – The University of Memphis will serve as a host site for the Mid-South Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry Program Tuesday at 10 a.m. in the Central Avenue parking lot next to the Holiday Inn on campus.
The Mid-South Food Bank will bring an 18-wheeler full of fresh food, including fruit and vegetables, frozen fruit, meat, dessert, eggs, milk, bread and pantry staples. It will stay open until all the food is distributed.
“Tiger Pantry is proud to be a partner agency of Mid-South Food Bank,” said Alison Brown, coordinator of Student Outreach and Support in the Office of the Dean of Students. “We would not have been able to grow Tiger Pantry to its current size without the food bank. We are excited to continue our partnership with them to host a mobile pantry because it means we will be able to serve hundreds of families in just a few short hours.”
The UofM’s Tiger Pantry staff will sort the food and distribute it to approximately 300 families. All attendees must bring an ID or a document matching their current address such as a MLGW bill, lease, bank statement, etc.
The mobile food pantry will hand out approximately 15,000-18,000 pounds on Tuesday, accounting for 50-60 pounds per family.
The Mid-South Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry at the UofM will be one of seven sites on Tuesday in addition to many more throughout the week. The other six sites on Tuesday include two in Memphis at For the Kingdom, 4100 Raleigh-Millington Road, 11 a.m.; and Pleasant Hill Chapel, 4813 Benjestown Road, 10 a.m.; along with Our Hands to Yours, 440 U.S. Hwy. 72 in Collierville at 11 a.m.; Boliver (Tenn.) High School at 11 a.m.; 1150 Wildcat Drive in Clarksdale, Miss., at 11 a.m.; and 1701 Paul Edmonson in Iuka, Miss., at 10 a.m.
The UofM’s Tiger Food Pantry has been a mainstay on campus and at the UofM Lambuth for many years. Since the start of the pandemic, the UofM has seen approximately 25 students per day come to the Tiger Pantry once per week, receiving 15-30 pounds of food per visit.
“We know that food insecurity is a source of stress for a significant portion of our students,” said Brown. “Particularly during a time like this, when many students have lost their jobs during COVID-19, food supports like the Tiger Pantry and Tiger Meal Swipes are more important than ever. Food is an important part of students’ health and wellness, and the UofM is committed to supporting student health.”
The Tiger Pantry is open to currently enrolled UofM students. The pantry carries food items (perishable and non-perishable), basic toiletries and basic household items. Since March 16, the Tiger Pantry moved from a choice-pantry model to a bag pickup model located in the University Center, room 359. For more information on the Tiger Food Panty, please go to https://bit.ly/2ypwkHv.
Many UofM students may be eligible for SNAP (food stamps). The UofM is trying to make sure that students are connected to all food supports possible, and the Tiger Food Pantry staff is available to talk to students about SNAP and can help them through the online application via Zoom. For more information on SNAP, please go to https://www.memphis.edu/snap.
The University of Memphis and Chartwells have also partnered to package as many as 10,000 meals a day for Shelby County students during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Chartwells is the dining services partner for the UofM.
CONTACT
Chuck Gallina l cgallina@memphis.edu | 901.678.1756