‘A burden off of students’: Rider Pantry

By Madison Lewis

Past Daly Dining Hall, through the doors of the Joseph P. Vona Center, there is an expanse of hallway. After a few twists and turns lies Room 23: a pantry stocked with school necessities and food items.     

The Rider Resource Pantry is a volunteer-run organization where items are purchased weekly with the help of grants and offerings.

Students can donate their own items to the pantry online or in person; however, certain items like clothes and used products are excluded.

According to graduate student and two-year pantry volunteer Kripi Jain, if a student receives a fine from Public Safety, they have the option to donate items to the pantry, so long as the items are of equal monetary value to their ticket.

A student can utilize the pantry two times a week. There is a point system based on the sections within the pantry that ensures that customers have equal opportunity to acquire the items they need. There is a section for school supplies, produce, personal care and other options. Each category has a number of points allotted and each item is worth points; students cannot exceed the labeled amount per section.

When the pantry-goer completes their shopping, they fill out a Google Form that keeps track of student attendance and what items the student took.

 Any student can use the pantry, no questions asked.

“[The pantry] is a small way of taking a burden off of [the students],” said Jain.

Students can also volunteer, responsibilities including restocking the pantry, cleaning the shelves and counting inventory. Volunteering at the pantry can earn students Engaged Learning points.

Gianna Rabasca, a junior psychology major, has been working at the pantry since the beginning of the semester and has utilized the pantry since she was a freshman.

“There are some people who live off campus … or live far away from home, and they do not have easy access to school supplies or food,” Rabasca said. “The pantry is able to provide.”

Jain has plans to elevate the marketing and advertising for the pantry on social media since the pantry’s location is not ideal for visibility and recognizability.  

“It’s a great resource for all students,” said Jain. “Let’s say you have a rough week. … You might need that extra help … so we are there.”

For hours and more information about the pantry, visit the Rider Resource Pantry’s page on the Rider website.