Steady Stream of Customers Demonstrates Value of Lynn Hall Food Pantry

Friday, February 5, 2021

shelves line the walls with organized groups of food and displayed next to a refrigerator and freezer — The Lynn Hall Food Pantry regularly helps PVM family members facing food insecurity, and accepts donations directly including a limited amount of fresh and frozen items.

Established last year, the Lynn Hall Food Pantry is doing a steady business meeting needs of members of the Purdue Veterinary Medicine family. Situated in Lynn B197, across the hall from the Wellness Room on the basement level of Lynn Hall, the pantry is open Mondays and Thursdays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Arrangements can also be made outside of operating hours by contacting Amanda Taylor, taylo374@purdue.edu, to set up a time to utilize the pantry.

Typically, from ten to 15 customers, ranging from students to faculty and staff, are served during each business day. In particular, the resource helps ensure that students have the nourishment they need to thrive academically as they cope with demanding schedules. All that is required to gain entry is a Purdue ID and/or PVM ID.

The pantry is managed by Amanda Taylor, senior administrative assistant of student services. She ensures that the pantry is well advertised throughout Lynn Hall, so that the food reaches as many people who need the help as possible. “Our pantry offers a non-judgmental environment for anyone in our PVM family who has a need,” said Amanda. “We don’t want anyone to be struggling with hunger.”

The pantry is one of the many satellite locations of the ACE Campus Food Pantry, headquartered in the Baptist Student Foundation at 200 N. Russell St. The main ACE food pantry provides a fresh delivery of food every week to Lynn Hall. All food delivered to ACE’s Purdue locations originates from Food Finders Food Bank in Lafayette.

In keeping with Protect Purdue requirements, the Lynn Hall pantry allows one customer inside at a time, with two volunteers ready to assist. Customers describe what they would like, and the first volunteer places the desired items in bags for them. Meanwhile, the other volunteer records the chosen items on a spreadsheet to keep track of which items will need to be replenished by ACE.

Amanda emphasized that while the pantry functions as a satellite of the ACE Campus Food Pantry, any individual or organization on campus can contribute items directly to the Lynn Hall location. Recently the pantry received a surprise gift of hamburger patties from a PVM faculty member, and Amanda supplies a weekly donation of eggs. The Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory currently is holding a food drive for the Lynn Hall pantry. Additionally, the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association (PVAA) Board of Directors allocated $2,000 to the food pantry last summer.

A wish list is available on Amazon for the pantry. This resource serves as a guide for needed items and enables individuals and organizations to donate with ease as the items are shipped directly to campus. Click here to view the wish list on Amazon. In addition to non-perishable items, the pantry has limited space for refrigerated or frozen items. Contact Amanda (taylo374@purdue.edu) with questions.

“The support the pantry has received is really encouraging, and it’s heartwarming to see those donations meeting needs in our college,” said Amanda. “I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to play a role in connecting people who care with those facing food insecurity, who just need some help and support.”

Writer(s): Jonathan Martz, PVM Communications Intern, and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu