The University of Connecticut Dining Services will run a pop-up food pantry, Husky Harvest, for one day this Wednesday, Oct. 16. Set up on the Student Union Lawn, the pantry will open to the public at 10 a.m. and is expected to stay open until 2 p.m., though it will have to close early if supplies run out before then, according to the UConn events calendar.
According to Sr. Associate Director of Dining Services Tracey Roy, the goal of the one-day pantry is to spread awareness about the initiative, especially to students who might not already know about Husky Harvest or might not be able to go regularly.
“Dining services holds the one-day pop-up in order to bring awareness about the pantry to students who may not know about us or are unable to go to the pantry on a regular basis,” Roy said in an email to The Daily Campus.
This is the first year that Husky Harvest will occur outside on the lawn, according to Roy. In the event of rain or inclement weather, the event will be postponed until the spring semester. Dining Services will post updates accordingly on their social media pages including their Facebook and Instagram.
Anyone who enters the event with a UConn ID will be allowed to get food for free, according to the events calendar post. The food choices for this Wednesday will include shelf-stable items such as coffee, snacks and pasta, according to Roy. There will also be some personal items available to university community members.
Roy emphasized Husky Harvest’s goal of providing items to any university members in need of them, also mentioning that food items such as fruit and vegetables might appear at some pantry pop-ups if their partners are able to provide them.
“Our goal is always to provide items to any UConn member who is in need,” Roy said. “We are a donation-based pantry and try our best to provide a variety of items. We never know what will be available from our partners, but try to offer fruit and vegetables, beverages, frozen entrees and a variety of dry goods.”
Roy also said that the pantry could always use more personal care items, as those tend to be harder to get when compared to other items offered at the pop-ups.
“We are always in need of personal care items as they are not often available from our partners,” Roy added.
Roy thanked Foodshare for its partnership in setting up Husky Harvest food pantries. Roy also acknowledged donations received from the Neag Foundation, as well as local businesses and the UConn community as a whole for their support.
For anyone looking to come to the pantry, make sure to have your UConn ID ready for check-in, and consider bringing your own bag to store items in, as bags will be available but in limited supply, according to the events calendar post.
For more information about Husky Harvest, visit their website to see the pantry offerings and timings at each of UConn’s campuses.