“We can make a difference with what we’re doing, and you can see that impact on a day-to-day basis, said Matt Marks.
Over the past eight years, the OU Food Pantry has continued to grow and increase its impact at the University of Oklahoma. A student-led initiative, the pantry is a free resource that supports OU’s students, faculty and staff.
In early 2016, OU’s Student Government Association started exploring the possibility of creating a food pantry to address food insecurity and hunger on campus. That goal became a reality with the OU Food Pantry’s ribbon cutting ceremony on March 22, 2017. Initially located in Stubbeman Village, the pantry moved to its current location in Cate Center in August 2022.
Matt Marks was one of the undergraduate students involved in establishing the pantry. He’s continued to work with the organization and is now the assistant director and advisor.
“We serve a unique community since it’s just the campus community,” Marks explained. “I think some folks don’t understand or might not know that we serve staff as well as the college students. We want to be there for the students who may be paying their way through college or who are going through a tough time, and we have staff members who need assistance too.”
The move to Cate Center was a significant one, providing the pantry with additional space and the ability to increase its services.
“We have all this space now to really make some incredible things happen,” Marks shared. “We expanded to have a clothing section, a community area and a fresh produce station. The move was a game-changer because our numbers increased, and we are more centrally located.”
When the pantry opened, it served about 20 or 30 clients a week. Now, it is supporting about 300 to 400 people a week, Marks said.
Volunteers and donors play a significant role in the food pantry. Over the years, Marks has been fortunate to work with incredible students who want to help others. The student staff serves on a variety of teams, including operations, logistics and development.
“They want to go help and change the world,” Marks stated. “It’s really powerful to work with a great group of students who get it and believe in what we are doing on campus.”
This year, the OU Food Pantry has its largest student staff, which is comprised of 90 students in volunteer leadership roles. Additionally, hundreds of volunteers help out on a weekly basis.
“We can make a difference with what we’re doing, and you can see that impact on a day-to-day basis,” Marks said. “Here at the food pantry, you can see the change right on the spot. You might be helping a client fill an order, you hand them their bag and they take it home. You get that face-to-face interaction. I think it’s really powerful.”
The OU Food Pantry relies on donations to operate, and there are multiple ways people can support the mission. The pantry accepts monetary donations as well as non-perishable food, toiletries and new or gently used clothing. People can also give through the pantry’s Amazon Wishlist or by volunteering their time as an individual or in a group.
People can also support the pantry through a variety of events, including an annual 5K, which was held last month. Other events throughout the year include an SEC Food Fight against other SEC schools and a Red River Food Fight against Texas to collect food, toiletry items and money.
“We have great ways to support us all year round,” Marks said. “We stay open during the summer even though most students will be gone because we still have students in summer school. There are endless opportunities all year round to support this.”
More information about the OU Food Pantry, including how to volunteer or donate, can be found at ou.edu/foodpantry or on social media. – BSM
By Chelsey Koppari
