Our Mission

Our mission is to ensure every student has access to free supplemental, nutritious, and culturally relevant food assistance, along with essential hygiene products and supplies.

Our History

In 2015, Dr. Christine Stevens noticed the increasing food insecurity among her students, so she conducted a campus-wide student survey, the results of which showed that 36% of students were skipping meals due to food insecurity.

Dr. Stevens collaborated with the Center for Equity and Inclusion to establish a food bank for UW Tacoma students and in 2016, the Pantry was started in a storage room in Dougan 107.Nedralani Mailo was the first Pantry supervisor who changed the Pantry into a welcoming space. Dr. Deidre Raynor (interim Vice chancellor of Equity and Inclusion) sought to bring refrigeration to the pantry to increase the range of offerings. Since 2016, Dr. Stevens has conducted research every two years to monitor UW Tacoma student food insecurity. In 2022, the survey demonstrated that 48% of students met the criteria for low food security.

Since the start of The Pantry, strategies that have been used are cooking demonstrations, introduction of cultural foods and fundraising to support the Pantry. In February, 2024, the Pantry moved to its current location in WPH 010. The new location is more than twice as big and is more suitable for food preparation and storage with a 3-compartment sink, storage, bigger fridge and dedicated freezer allowing for a wider range and amount of offerings.

Picture of Dr Christine Stevens (founder of Food Pantry) and Nedralani Mailo (First UWT Pantry Supervisor)