Pantry Bowl kicks off Nov. 24

For the last three years, UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State have staged the Pantry Bowl, a competitive fundraiser for their on-campus food pantries, held during the week of their rivalry football game. Pantry Bowl donors have raised nearly $450,000 total for food pantries at both schools.

This year’s game is Nov. 30, and the two schools are coming together once again with one goal: To fight food insecurity on campus. Tar Heel and Wolfpack fans can donate to the Pantry Bowl online from Nov. 24 to Dec. 1 for this year’s competition.

Because of the Pantry Bowl, both schools have been able to make improvements to their pantries, meet goals and plan for future needs.

“Providing resources to students through the Carolina Food Pantry Network is crucial because access to basic needs is a right, not a privilege,” said Kennedy Williams ’25, president of the Carolina Cupboard at UNC-Chapel Hill. “No one should have to worry about where their next meal will come from. Being a student involves juggling numerous responsibilities, and food insecurity should not be one of them.”

Fighting food insecurity

The Carolina Cupboard is a part of a network of six on-campus food pantries. The network is addressing food insecurity by bringing food resources to students where they are across campus, making nutritious food as accessible as possible.

“The number of students who were visiting just the Carolina Cupboard did not accurately represent the need that exists on our campus,” said Desirée Rieckenberg, Carolina’s dean of students. Her office, in collaboration with the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid, created a task force to build out the Carolina Food Pantry Network to reach more students.

One of those pantries is Jessica’s Cupboard, for students at the UNC School of Nursing. Katherine Moore, when she was assistant dean of student affairs for the nursing school, led student support services, including the food pantry.

Moore said students struggling with food insecurity tend to have lower GPAs and attendance rates and higher rates of depression, anemia and vitamin deficiencies. Before the pandemic, 30% of students experienced food insecurity on four-year college campuses. “Post-pandemic data reveal the incidence worsening to more than 40%,” she said.

Better together

“My favorite part of Pantry Bowl is during the week when we are able to see people give donations from different companies, families and alumni,” said Williams. “It is so heartwarming to witness the community support, the Cupboard’s effort and continue to see us grow to help our Tar Heel community.”

Pantry Bowl donations paid for an industrial-sized refrigerator and freezer, allowing the Carolina Cupboard to provide more fresh and nutritious food to their patrons. With more support, the pantries can provide wider varieties of perishable and nonperishable items, fresh produce and selections for specific dietary needs.

Last year, Carolina Cupboard helped more than 700 students facing food insecurity. Carolina now has six on-campus pantry locations serving students:

• Carolina Cupboard – Provides all students with food and supplies at no cost at Student and Academic Services Building North, room 1221.
• CJ’s Cupboard – Accessible to members of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in 2210 McGavran-Greenberg Hall.
• Jessica’s Cupboard – For nursing students only, offered through the UNC School of Nursing Office of Student Affairs.
• Bondurant Hall Food Pantry – Open to the Carolina community but primarily serves health sciences students in Bondurant Hall 1072.
• Bynum Hall Food Pantry – Primarily serves graduate students in The Graduate School at Bynum Hall.
• Kenan Flagler Food Pantry – Primarily serves students in the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in the Wellness Suite on the third floor of McColl Hall.