Dutchmen Pantry Expands Critical Food Access at Third Campus Location

ANNVILLE, Pa. – Lebanon Valley College was named a Hunger-Free Campus through an initiative launched by Frances Wolf, former Pennsylvania First Lady, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

National statistics indicate that more than a third of college students know someone who dropped out of college during the pandemic due to food insecurity. More than half of students who faced food insecurity did not apply for support because they did not know how.

Even before the pandemic, LVC staff recognized the need to assist students with access to food and hygiene items. In response, the College created the Dutchmen Pantry in January 2019. The pantry, funded and stocked entirely through donations, is a free resource available to students that provides non-perishable food items such as peanut butter and jelly, breakfast bars, pouches of tuna, and pasta. Personal hygiene items and laundry detergent are also available. Departments on campus, student organizations, the Board of Trustees, and outside organizations keep the pantry supplied throughout the academic year.

In January 2022, the Dutchmen Pantry expanded to a second location in LVC’s Commuter Lounge, where Metz Culinary Management provides individually packaged meals from the dining hall for commuting students who do not have a meal plan or who need access to food.

Now, the Dutchmen Pantry is opening another satellite location inside the Vernon and Doris Bishop Library. This location will operate on the same hours as the library and provide on-the-go, non-perishable food items for students.

Along with the Dutchmen Pantry, LVC offers a Career Closet with professional attire for interviews, internships, scholarship banquets, and other events. The Study Smart Resource Closet provides notebooks, highlighters, folders, and other school supplies. These resources are also supported through donations from the campus and surrounding communities.