Ivy Tech campus food pantry seeks refrigeration capacity as student need grows

Eric Coyne, chancellor at Ivy Tech, and campus staff described a rapidly expanding food pantry that has grown from a small shelf to a 10-by-30 room with refrigeration and freezer units and that served hundreds of students and dependents last academic year.

Staff said recent purchases include a commercial freezer and that the program now serves roughly 350 students and a total of approximately 1,000 people over the year (students plus dependents). They described a partnership with Hoosier Hills Food Bank (Feeding America) for produce and dry goods and said the Ivy Tech Foundation has committed internal grants and donor funds to recent pantry expansions. Staff also said they plan to increase student volunteer involvement as part of service-learning and broaden sourcing to wholesalers to make the pantry more sustainable.

Committee members asked about sourcing, refrigeration logistics and how campus budget cuts have affected operations; staff said the pantry is largely running on foundation and grant support and that adding refrigeration and shelving capacity has consistently increased demand and usage.

The committee thanked presenters and suggested potential community partnerships with local farms and other applicants heard earlier in the meeting.