Studies show that many students face food insecurity, even at Concordia College. In response, the college has taken steps to reduce the impact of hunger and ensure that everyone has access to food.
Created in May 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Cobber Food Pantry was located in the Parke Student Leadership Center. This year, however, it has moved to the Center for Holistic Health, now located in Room 101 of Old Main.
“The long-term vision was to integrate all student health services and supports under the Center of Holistic Health… In doing that, it moves everything kind of under one umbrella that hopefully provides clarity to students about where to go,” said Heather Simonich, Director of Holistic Health.
More reasons for the Food Pantry’s change in location include finding a larger space, achieving a higher level of visibility to people who may have never visited before, and increasing accessibility to students, specifically students who use mobility aids such as wheelchairs.
The food pantry originally started with one shelf of food donated by students and expanded in August 2020. In September 2020, the Cobber Food Pantry partnered with Great Plains Food Bank, which continues to donate food and other items to the food pantry in 2024. A study exploring hunger on Concordia’s campus was done in 2018. Simonich stated the study found that almost a third of Concordia students needed food-based support.
“The campus survey that I just referenced showed that 30% of Concordia students experienced some level of food insecurity. And 13% reported that food insecurity was experienced regularly. That was the data that came to our attention,” Simonich said.
In 2020, the pantry served 172 students throughout the school year, but that number has hovered around 240 throughout the next four years. According to the Cobber Food Pantry’s Annual Report from the 2023-2024 academic year, 235 students were served, approximately 13.06% of Concordia College’s student body.
Of those students, 34% were in their fourth year of higher education, and 48% identified with at least one measure of low socio-economic status. On the impact that the food pantry has had on students on campus, Simonich stated that use has stayed regular over the last few years.
“I was eyeballing… the data from August of last year to August of now, and I would say it’s very similar patterns of use, as it was when it was located in the Parke Center,” Simonich said.
While the Cobber Food Pantry’s official website states that there are donation bins around campus, the Center of Holistic Health is still updating the locations on the website and social media pages.
There are no longer donation bins available, but if one would like to donate items to the food pantry, they could contact the Center for Holistic Health to arrange a time for pick-ups and deliveries. Financial donations can be submitted on the food pantry’s official website.
In terms of volunteering, students can sign up on Microsoft Teams to help staff clean, organize and much more. The Cobber Food Pantry also offers employment opportunities, usually having one or two student workers per semester.
Gillan Lee, a Concordia College senior pursuing a degree in math education, worked at the Cobber Food Pantry during the 2023-2024 school year. She stated she would recommend working there, as she found the experience to be emotionally fulfilling and enjoyed working independently of others. She explained that she visited the Food Pantry’s new location and believes having more inventory space will be beneficial.
“I worked there last semester, before the move… This semester I will be working there again. I visited the space over the summer, and I think it’s better to have more space. I think it’s a really fun job… organization is something I love,” Lee said.
Lee mentioned that the Cobber Food Pantry uses a ‘food rescue system’ to prevent food waste in the surrounding community; if local grocery stores order an incorrect type or number of food products, they are not allowed to sell them. The Cobber Food Pantry will receive some of this food to ensure it will still be used.
The pantry is open from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Mondays and from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
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