'Judgment-Free' Program Makes Nonperishable Food, Personal Hygiene Items and Household Supplies Available
Wilmington College established an outreach program this fall designed to provide students in need with such items as toothpaste, instant mac-n-cheese and paper towels as they endeavor through living and learning on campus in the midst of a pandemic.
PICTURED: Jena Frommeyer (RIGHT) brings some newly donated toothpaste and toothbrushes to Haley Stammen at the Quaker Cupboard.
Quaker Cupboard, which is supported exclusively through donations of items and monetary gifts, opened in mid-October as a means for supplementing the basic food, personal hygiene and household items of students who might be feeling the pinch of the economic downturn more than others.
Indeed, once the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic was realized by late spring, national education experts predicted colleges and universities would experience as much as a 20 percent drop in enrollment as a result of pandemic concerns, especially its economic ramifications. While Wilmington College appears to have bucked that trend and is enjoying a solid enrollment similar to the number of students who attended last fall, it realizes that a number of students may be experiencing financial challenges that can affect their ability to purchase some basic living necessities.
It turned out that several campus entities realized the potential for food insecurity and other concerning factors occurring within the campus community. Indeed, the Student Resource Center, Office of Campus Ministry and Center for Service and Civic Engagement all were working on addressing it. These entities "joined forces," which, when coupled with donations from faculty, staff and the Wilmington Yearly Meeting, makes Quaker Cupboard is truly a collaborative effort.
"I love it how this all came together organically," said Haley Stammen, manager of the Student Resource Center (SRC), where the supplies pantry is located in Robinson Communication Center (RCC 104). "I'm new to WC and thought this would be a great thing on our campus."
Information on how to place orders is featured on the WC Student App and the SRC page on the College's intranet site, WC@HOME, as well as a QR code featured on flyers in residence halls and elsewhere on campus. It includes a menu of dozens of available items and provides an order form for items that will be bagged and ready for pick up within 24 hours.
"We want students to know this is a judgment-free zone," she added. "They can come here and pick up what they need — no questions asked."
Jena Frommeyer and Tim Wiederhold, student success coaches with WC's Title III program, have been assisting Stammen with Quaker Cupboard. "Quaker Cupboard is here to support students, to lighten the load on their expenses," he said. "We've had a lot of donations from the get-go."
Frommeyer added that each of them has made regular trips to the store in order to replace depleted supplies. "We also want students know that, if you're hungry and missed lunch, you can stop by for a snack."
Friends of the Quaker Cupboard program can drop off donations at the Student Resource Center or at the office of Chip Murdock, director of the Center for Service and Civic Engagement and Office of Inclusion and Diversity, on the main floor of Pyle Student Center.
