Red Hawk Pantry Campaign

To combat the reality and struggle of food insecurity for our students, Student Development and Campus Life has established an The Red Hawk Pantry. On April 18, the on-campus food pantry opened for the first time and continues to serve the needs of our students over the summer months. To assess these needs, a survey was sent to all students prior to the opening of the pantry. Of the nearly 200 Montclair State students surveyed, 10% expressed food insecurity on a daily basis, while 15% expressed a need on weekly basis and 12% on a monthly basis.

“In an effort to serve the needs of our students both inside and outside the classroom, we must address and battle the issue of food insecurity on our campus,” says Fatima deCarvalho, Associate Dean of Students.

In July, the University launched a fundraising campaign to help sustain the pantry and allow it to become self-sustaining and continue to serve the needs of our students. Gifts to the campaign help the Red Hawk Pantry to offer more hours, stock more supplies and expand its services to students.

“Food donations are beyond important, and we have been lucky enough to receive so many generous donations to help us help our own,” says Stacy Albanese, Associate Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving. “While we are always happy to accept food donations, what we truly need in order to sustain the pantry is your financial support. As of now, I am proud to announce that we have raised $7,240 towards our $10,000 goal. We hope to get there – and beyond, by the beginning of the Fall semester.”

The Red Hawk Callers, representing The Fund for Montclair State, have been on the phones all summer reaching out to alumni, parents and staff to support this important initiative. In addition to a phone campaign, emails and social media messages have helped to spread the word. As student needs grow and the pantry expands, there is a plan to provide a refrigeration system along with fresh milk and produce.

If you’d like to support the on-campus food pantry, you can make your gift online. For more information on the on-campus food pantry, contact Sonja Tillman, Student Development and Campus Life, at tillmans@mail.montclair.edu or 973-655-3434. For more information on the campaign to support the pantry, contact Hillary Brintle at brintleh@mail.montclair.edu or 973-655-7460.