Bruin Community Pantry

John 6:35 

Then Jesus said, "I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry.  And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

The Bruin Community Pantry is an Office of Student Life led initiative seeking to address the real problem of hunger (food insecurity) on campus.   It is our goal to help meet the needs of students who, for one reason or another, do not have access to enough healthy food.

We also encourage students to utilize the various resources in the Newberg and Yamhill County communities who are established to assist people when resources are depleted.

Additionally, George Fox University has many resources available to students to assure that they are given every opportunity to accomplish their academic goals.

The Bruin Community Pantry not only addresses food insecurity among students, but we also work to connect students with resources that will encourage their own personal goals to graduate and procure a meaningful career.

We work with The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice in working to drive innovative practice and assist #RealCollege students to accomplish their academic goals.

Trellis Company, a nonprofit corporation with the dual mission of helping student borrowers successfully pay their education loans, conducted a study that confirms that food insecurity rises when students face employment disruptions, loss of financial aid, family crisis, and unexpected costs such as car repairs, rent increases, spike in utility costs, and changes in daycare arrangements.

We cannot expect that a single food bank will help a student succeed.  But when we couple that program with education (cooking classes) and other programming to address the root causes, we can make it less likely that a student will drop out of college because they do not have enough food to eat.

Those wishing to contribute to BCP by donating money can go here, or contact Jere Witherspoon ( jwithers@georgefox.edu or 503-554-2316) for more information. 

We are an official member of the College and University Food Bank Alliance ( CUFBA)

We are an official partner with Yamhill Community Action Partnership

Resources

Food Bank

All George Fox community members have access to the pantry, located in the Roberts Center’s Room 110.

Fall Finals Week Hours

Please call the Student Life Office for more information - 503-554-2310

SNAP ( Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program)

This program is designed to help people stay healthy during difficult times.

• SNAP for College Students: An overview
• Do you need help applying for SNAP (food stamp) benefits?  
• Contact the Student Life Office for assistance - 503-554-2310

Community Resources

Yamill Community Action Partnership

Newberg Community Resources

• Community meal sites
  • Evening meals are served in the Newberg area Mondays through Fridays
• Food banks
• Gardening, food and cooking classes
• Housing resources
• Transportation
• Medical care

Academic Resources

• L earning Support Services
• Textbook Assistance 
• Academic Planning 
• Disability Services
• Commuter Connections
• Spiritual Counseling 
• Health and Counseling
• Student Clubs 
• Student Support Network
• edquity - A resource for financial assistance outside of GFU

Food Donations

Donations of non-perishable items to the food bank can be delivered to the student life office in Stevens Center or dropped off at the food bank during hours of operation.

Read about the top best non-perishable foods to donate here.

'Leftovers' program

Around the world, close to a third of the world's food production is wasted each year, over 1.3 billion tons and nearly $990 billion dollars.  

Many renowned chefs are working to address this disaster.

Italian chef Massimo Bottura is one of these pioneers.

Watch this documentary Food for the Soul .

The student life office has arranged for quality leftover food to be stored in a refrigerator on the third floor of the Stevens Center. All food donated will be adequately contained and dated. Community members interested in this program can email studentlife@georgefox.edu or call  503-554-2316.

Read about the Leftovers Program and complete the waiver form  here.

Closet Project

The Closet Project is an outreach led by the Bruin Store team to help relieve the pressure of accessing high-quality professional clothing at a low price. Through a 100% donation-based network, we are providing professional clothing of all shapes and sizes to students, at the simple cost of $1 per piece.

Your clothing donation helps your peers be better prepared for their dream job, and your purchase goes directly to the Bruin Community Pantry to address food insecurity.

Q&A

What is food insecurity?

It is the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or the ability to acquire such foods in a socially acceptable manner. The most extreme form is often accompanied by physiological sensations of hunger.

Why start a pantry program on the George Fox campus?

A recent study of the George Fox student body revealed the following:

• 19 percent of respondents indicated they were experiencing a temporary hardship that affected their ability to have enough to eat.
• 13 percent of those surveyed indicated that they did not have access to an adequate amount of food due to a lack of resources.
• 64 percent indicated that they had a friend who did not have access to an adequate amount of food.

Why would a student be food insecure at George Fox? Doesn't financial aid cover the cost of their food?

Complicating factors affect many students’ financial situation, whether they are on financial aid or not. Students may experience food insecurity due to a variety of financial circumstances and situations. Some students may be responsible for sending money home to care for family members.

Students may also have complicated family dynamics, which lead to the family withholding financial support. Additional factors could include major unexpected expenses, such as medical, transportation issues or housing problems. 

Who can donate to the Bruin Community Pantry? What types of donations are accepted?

Throughout the year we will promote food drives to fill our food bank shelves. We will take donations of non-perishable food items and essential toiletries throughout the year. Periodically, we will have messages in the Daily Bruin.

Donations can be dropped off at the student life office on the third floor of the Stevens Center during regular business hours. 

Those wishing to contribute to BCP by donating money can go here , or contact Jere Witherspoon ( jwithers@georgefox.edu or 503-554-2316) for more information. 

Is there a wish list of pantry items?

Yes. We will accept the following types of contributions:

In the News

Our efforts to provide resources for our students recently gained national attention. See this story in the May 2, 2019, issue of the New York Times to read more about the national hunger crisis on college campuses and what we and other schools are doing about it.

The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities outlined the problem of food insecurity in their recent issue.  The efforts of the Bruin Community Pantry to combat this problem is featured in the article.  Read this story from October 2019.

More Information

Jere Witherspoon, Office of Student Life: 503-554-2316 or jwitherspoon@georgefox.edu

Kristi Welker, Director of Commuter Life: 503-554-2308 or kwelker@georgefox.edu