Nathaniel Clark – A&E Editor 

nuc5002@psu.edu

Halfway through this semester, some Behrend students might be running out of their meal plans. While this is indeed an issue, many people have problems when it comes to asking for assistance in this field. Food insecurity can be very tough to discuss, but what if I told you there is a way to solve this problem with anonymity and ease?Let me tell you about the Lion’s Pantry. 

While its first branch opened in University Park, the concept of a Lion’s Pantry quickly spread to Penn State’s Commonwealth campuses. At Penn State Behrend, our Pantry branch is located in The Smith Chapel.

On the Pantry’s website, the organization states that its overall mission is “to address and mitigate student food insecurity at the Penn State [Behrend] campus, providing food and other resources directly to students.” The organization achieves this by allowing Behrend students to order a variety of food and hygiene products free of charge. 

When it comes to ordering from the Lion’s Pantry, a student will fill out the online order form found on the Behrend Branch’s website or accessible through QR codes around campus. They first ask for your PSU email and ID number. Once given, you choose the variety of items you require in your order, from breakfast items such as cereal to hygiene and home products like soap and toilet paper. Before completing the order, the student is asked if they have any allergies and what cooking methods they have access to. After the order is turned in, the student’s email is sent a confirmation. These students will receive a pickup message later the same week, telling them to go to Smith Chapel’s lower level, where the order will be found near the blue shelves. There they will pick up their order, which will already be packaged up, and go on their way, not having to talk to anyone in the process.

Easy, accessible, and anonymous, Lion’s Pantry is an excellent way for Penn State students to solve their food insecurity problems in minimal steps.