The WSU Vancouver Cougar Food Pantry offers non-perishable food items to students free of charge and hosts fresh food events throughout the year. Located in the Student Services Building above the Bookie, students can request food on the Cougar Food Pantry website and pick up the items in person.
“If the pantry continues to grow, the institution will just need to adjust resources in order to continue because I may run out of space.” – Cyle Malcolm
The pantry stocks a wide variety of foods, including canned meat, beans, fruits and vegetables, soups and more. Alternative milks like almond and soy are also available, along with breakfast options like cereals, pancake mix, oatmeal and peanut butter. White and brown rice, quinoa, pasta and gluten free pasta are a few examples of starches offered by the pantry as well — so students and community members with special dietary restrictions are accommodated by the pantry’s food options. Snacks and other kid-friendly foods are also provided, and a full list of other available options can be found on the request form on their website.
(Josalyn Ortiz/The VanCougar)
Cyle Malcolm, a senior majoring in Environmental Science and the Cougar Food Pantry coordinator, is solely in charge of the pantry’s daily procedures. As its manager, he oversees the pantry’s budget, while organizing food, and unpacking and repackaging the orders he receives.
According to Malcolm, 30 to 40 orders are sent to the Cougar Food Pantry per week. In this semester alone, he projects that over 500 orders will be received by students, doubling the 250 orders of last semester’s student requests.
The availability of food comes from the combined amount delivered by donations, and is funded by the Service and Activities fees portion of student tuition. This fee helps pay for recreational clubs, the Associated Students of WSU Vancouver, Office of Student Involvement and other student-focused organizations on campus. Last year, the Cougar Food Pantry was allocated $60,560, or 2.75% of student Service and Activities fees, according to the Services and Activities fees website.
“Currently, you can order [food for] up to a family of six people. Each bag tries to stay around the $30 range, but if you have four people in your family, we might throw in a couple extra cans if we can afford it,” Malcolm said.
With such a dramatic increase in students utilizing the service, Malcolm said the pantry might have to expand.
“If the pantry continues to grow, the institution will just need to adjust resources in order to continue because I may run out of space,” Malcolm said.
In consideration of the need for food during the upcoming holiday season, The Thanksgiving Fresh Food Event, which will happen this November, is an example of one of the events that the Cougar Food Pantry hosts for WSU Vancouver students and their families.
“Students can often walk out with a whole turkey, with this year’s prediction being up to 12 to 14 pounds. This will also come with side dishes such as potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauces and more fresh food items. Each student can expect to walk away with about $60 worth of food,” Malcolm said.
To submit a request for food or learn more about what the Cougar Food Pantry offers, visit their website at https://studentaffairs.vancouver.wsu.edu/cougar-food-pantry.
Sean is a junior studying digital technology & culture at WSU Vancouver.