With the help of the campus community and university organizations, the new University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojan Food Pantry will open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday beginning Feb. 4.

“It’s been a group effort on campus,” said Betsy Hart, assistant director of the UALR Community Connection Center. “Folks all over campus have been coming up to us, saying this has been a need for a long time.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the pantry, located on the south side of the Donaghey Student Center in Room 110B. Additionally, the pantry will host a food drive at the Trojans basketball game on Feb. 4. Pantry staff members particularly encourage participants to donate peanut butter and jelly.

The Trojan Food Pantry is open to all UALR students, faculty, and staff in need of assistance.

Food pantry participants must fill out a first-time form online or in person at the pantry. A three-day supply of food is provided to participants once a week based on the items chosen on their food request form.

At least 5,000 food items have been collected through the campus food drive led by the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps. The Community Connection Center is leading the food pantry effort with the help of Student Government Association, Chancellor’s Leadership Corps, Staff Senate, and other campus partners, including the employee annual campaign.

Currently, the pantry has only non-perishable items. Hart hopes to eventually obtain refrigerated foods, fresh vegetables, and fruits.

Organizers expect hundreds of UALR students, staff, and faculty to access the pantry. The pantry is run on a day-to-day basis by UALR student volunteers.

According to the College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA), food insecurity has increasingly become an issue on college and university campuses and can pose a significant barrier to student success, affecting all demographic statuses, enrollment levels, and geographic locations.

“I really think that we can fulfill the need that we do have on campus through this, and hopefully we can expand with time,” said Felisha Thomas, a food pantry volunteer and social work graduate student.

Donated food items may be dropped off at the Community Connection Center. For more information on the Trojan Food Pantry, visit https://ualr.edu/foodpantry. A list of most needed items is on the website.