Support SHOP: End Campus Hunger

Thanks to the generous support of all our donors so far, we exceeded our goal of $7,000!  Can you help us get closer to the needed $17,000?

The goal of this fundraiser is to raise a portion of the funds needed for continued enhancement of SHOP's infrastructure and capacity. SHOP (Students Helping Our Peers) food pantry relocated to 1306 Beyer Hall in Fall 2020 semester into a new space that is 3.5 times larger than the previous space. Additional funding is needed for continued space renovations, and additional equipment to meet pantry and community needs. 

Additional infrastructure development needed for SHOP

- Electrical work for additional refrigerator and freezer units

- Installation of a key-card access point for pantry entrance door

- Purchase of volunteer technology (IPads) for inventory and online ordering needs

- Additional tables and shelving for pantry 

- Installation of a sink 

Estimated total for infrastructure needs ~$17,000

Check out videos from the following senior leaders supporting our project!

President Wintersteen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWImjR-A04w  

Provost Wickert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq2s9vFQtuY  

Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Younger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcMq8-3dwJo  

For information about food insecurity resources at ISU and surrounding community: https://www.studentwellness.iastate.edu/food-insecurity/

About SHOP

Students Helping Our Peers (SHOP) is a student-run, on-campus food pantry. It was created in 2011 when a group of students in the Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) approached ISU Dining about the possibility of opening a campus food pantry. SHOP’s vision is to alleviate food insecurity among students while collaborating with Iowa State University and the Ames Community. SHOP’s mission is to serve the student population and the Ames community by increasing hunger awareness and food security. Donations from individuals, campus organizations, the community, and an ISU Foundation account keep food and personal care items on the shelves of the pantry.

SHOP has impacted countless ISU students since its inception in 2011. The need for SHOP and the campus Food Security Workgroup, led by Student Wellness, to continue efforts toward a campus where all students are food secure has never been greater. National data indicates that one third of college students are food and/or housing insecure, and data from the 2019 implementation of the National College Health Association (NCHA) on ISU’s campus indicates 24% of ISU students are food insecure. 

With a new, larger space, SHOP was able to increase shelving to hold more product and more variety in product as fall semester ended. More product and increased traffic necessitated new internal processes for the members of the executive team to track movement of inventory and keep the space stocked appropriately to meet needs of students visiting. Additionally, with the help of a grant, SHOP was able to purchase a refrigerator to help meet the next phase of expansion, fresh items.

Long term, SHOP plans to offer fresh produce, dairy and protein. This expansion will mean more processes and management for the executive board but they feel it is important to the health of student visitors as well as variety of offerings. To go this direction, SHOP will need to work with the Office of Risk Management, purchase more cold storage, and edit inventory processes. Also in the long-term, the executive board would like to help educate students on how to use items from the food pantry to cook meals for themselves that are healthy and tasty. This is just one piece of the puzzle Iowa State University is putting together to help give students the tools to become successful citizens of the world.