Welcome to the Smallwood Food Pantry Newsletter!

We are so happy to have you here. At the Smallwood Food Pantry, we prioritize creating a safe, welcoming environment for all PSU students. 

Fall term is upon us and with that, the pantry will be operating in full swing. Starting the first day of term we will be open five days a week once again! There are some big changes happening here at the pantry! From sign ins, to bags, to what food is being stocked on the shelves,to this very newsletter, we are delighted to have you on board as we navigate these changes!

With the new Connect website live, the way we do our sign-ins will change. Patrons will now enter the pantry, scan a QR code and sign in with their ODIN accounts. While patrons, staff and volunteers get used to these changes, sign-ins might take a little longer than you’re used to at first! Please give yourself some extra time when coming to the pantry while everyone gets used to these changes.

Another big change coming to the pantry is the elimination of paper bags. Did you know that the pantry spends over $500 per month on paper bags? With that kind of money we could purchase 10 cases of eggs! Or 25 cases of peanut butter! Even 14 cases of tuna! As a team, we decided that using our precious food purchasing dollars on bags was overall doing a disservice to the students. So starting fall term, the pantry will no longer be purchasing bags! We encourage you to bring your own reusable bags to the pantry every time you shop. If you forget, feel free to grab one of the boxes we keep underneath the bagging table. Keep an eye on the shelves to see what kinds of food we can afford now that we’ve ditched the bags! 

Another large change you might see in the pantry is the availability of food. In July, the current administration passed a bill that gutted food assistance programs across the country. Unfortunately, we were not immune to those cuts. What does that mean, you might ask? It means that we are getting significantly less food for free from the Oregon Food Bank. Our shelves might look less full than you’re used to, but we will continue to do our best to strengthen ties with our community partners and try to find other sources to keep the pantry full. In the meantime, please know we are doing our best to keep the pantry stocked with a good variety of nutritious free food. 

Thank you for supporting the PSU Smallwood Food Pantry. In light of all of the changes happening in the world, it is so nice to be able to connect with such a supportive, kind community. We are looking forward to the year ahead.