Welcome to the Rutgers Student Food Pantry
- Social Media (@rufoodpantry on Instagram and Facebook)
- Who Qualifies
- Any student at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. You just need a Rutgers ID card.
- Hours of Operation/Locations
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
- Wednesday: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
- Thursday: Mobile Food Pantry on Busch, Livingston & Douglass (appointments preferred, walk-ins welcome)
- Friday: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
**If these hours do not work with your schedule, please contact us – we will make arrangements with you that suit your needs. Please contact Off-Campus Living and Community Partnerships at oclcp39@gmail.com.
**Holiday hours may vary. Please check social media (Instagram and Facebook) for changes to the operating schedule.
- How to Schedule an Appointment for Mobile Pantry:
- Do Something/Student Referral Form
About the Rutgers Student Food Pantry
- History
Being food insecure means having limited or uncertain access to a sufficient quantity of food (USDA, 2011). Started in Fall 2016, the Rutgers Student Food Pantry is of one of the over 20 food pantries in New Brunswick. It exclusively serves Rutgers students and is located at the College Ave Student Center, Room 115 (126 College Ave). The pantry is stocked by donations from Rutgers Against Hunger, Replenish, and private donations.
- Statistics
- Impact Since March 2020
- # of total visits – around 3000 student visits to pantry. Student can visit the pantry once per week.
- # of unique visitors – over 500 since March 2020. Many of these students have families they are supporting, so numbers of individuals supported via the Rutgers Student Food Pantry is greater.
Contribute
Run a Drive
Collect food and/or monetary donations for the Rutgers Student Food Pantry. There are a few models for how to hold a food drive. This guide focuses on the “single-site drop-off” model, where people bring food donations to a place, on a specific date, where volunteers are waiting to receive it.
“There are people in the world so hungry that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” Mahatma Gandhi.
To learn more about how to run a drive for the Rutgers Student Food Pantry, review our step-by-step guide.
Ambassadors
Looking for a way to volunteer with the Rutgers Student Food Pantry? We need Social Media Ambassadors who have a network of Scarlet Knights with whom they can share information about the Rutgers Student Food Pantry and the services we offer to the Rutgers University- New Brunswick community.
Overview: Ambassadors help disseminate content for various social media platforms. Social Media Ambassadors help us reach more students and serve as a valuable asset to the Rutgers Student Food Panty’s outreach efforts.
Activities and Programs: The time commitment for this volunteer role is about an hour per month. Ambassadors help promote the pantry, events related to the pantry, spread news and information about food insecurity, and engage with fellow Scarlet Knights through online social networks. Ambassadors can accomplish this in many ways:
Like, comment on, share, and retweet posts from Rutgers Student Food Pantry social media accounts.
Tweet from events and encourage others to do the same (language will be provided).
Post photos on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter related to the Rutgers Student Food Pantry (graphics/photos will be provided).
Encourage their network to follow RSFP social media accounts.
Donation Needs
- We ask anyone making a donation to the pantry please fill this form out: Food Pantry Donation Form.
- We will gratefully accept donations of non-perishable items, toiletries and financial contributions. Please contact us at ruoffcampus@echo.rutgers.edu to arrange for delivery.
- You can also utilize our Amazon Wishlist: https://tinyurl.com/rufoodpantrywishlist
- Want to make a monetary donation? Please visit https://go.rutgers.edu/DonateFoodPantry to donate.
Ambassador FAQ
- Do I need to have thousands of followers to become a Social Media Ambassador?
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Not necessarily. We want Ambassadors to have influence within the Rutgers University- New Brunswick community.
- Do I need to be active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram?
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While the ideal Ambassador would have influence on all three main social networks, in addition to others like Instagram and Pinterest, we also know that some may be extremely influential on Facebook but not have a Twitter account. We appreciate each Ambassador’s individual strengths.
- Section How often do I need to actively promote the Rutgers Student Food Pantry social media posts?
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We encourage Ambassadors to be as active as possible given their work and home life schedules. Ambassadors should be active once a week at a minimum; however, during our high priority events we need everyone to be as active as possible. We estimate about an hour per month commitment.
- Do I need to change my privacy settings?
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No! The idea is that you will help spread Rutgers University- New Brunswick information to your followers. We’re not asking that you change any settings – just share information in your voice, to your peers.
Item Drop-Off
Rutgers Student Food Pantry
848-932-5500
ruoffcampus@echo.rutgers.edu
Hours of Operation:
Click for status updates
Additional Resources
Along with the services provided by the Rutgers Student Food Pantry, there are many other resources that students can utilize through the university, including:
- Facebook – Follow @RUFoodPantry on Facebook to receive pantry updates and to find events on campus that offer free food to students.
- Market Bucks – These vouchers can be used at the Farmer’s Market on Cook Campus.
- Deans of Students
- Other Pantries in the New Brunswick Area
- Food Insecurity at Rutgers-New Brunswick (PDF)
- Nutritious Recipes from the Community Food Bank of NJ SNAP-Education Team
Rutgers Student Food Pantry (Inside the College Avenue Student Center)
126 College Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
848-932-5500
ruoffcampus@echo.rutgers.edu
