Support OHIO's Food Pantry

Thank You, Joe Burrow Foundation!

We are excited to share we have received a generous commitment of $5,000 from The Joe Burrow Foundation to kick off this year's critical campaign.

OHIO's Food Pantry

Your contribution to the Food Pantry Support Fund will continue to build the Bobcats Helping Bobcats program, a basic needs initiative aimed at alleviating the challenges of food and other insecurities students are facing at Ohio University.

The OHIO Food Pantry, affectionately called Cats’ Cupboard, is an essential support service for students experiencing food insecurity. The pantry is available to students on the Athens Campus within Baker University Center. All students are eligible for the service, and can access food by appointment every two weeks. In 2021, the pantry had 585 members and served a total of 774 people.

You can support a Bobcat in need:

• $25 provides one student with a three-day supply of emergency food
• $75 feeds one student and their two children for the same space of time
• $400 provides a month of perishable items (milk, eggs, cheese, fresh produce) for 30 students

The strains of being a modern-day college student are further exacerbated by hunger pains, as students who do not have their basic needs met report lower test scores, grades, and ultimately see a lower graduation rate.

A survey of Cats’ Cupboard users was conducted to learn about the impact on students during the pandemic. The results found:

• 87% of student users were prevented from going hungry
• 78% did not have to skip meals
• 96% said Cats’ Cupboard made them feel like they were part of the Ohio University community

"Before using the food pantry, it was overwhelming to balance the stress of money for food with other bills, in addition to dealing with stress from school. Since utilizing the pantry, I’ve been able to effectively concentrate on my studies.” — Cats' Cupboard student user

Did you know that $13,500 could cover the cost of a Graduate Student to work directly with the pantry and our partners to reduce food insecurity and the stigmatization of hunger on campus?

Looking to make a gift to a different OHIO fund? Visit give.ohio.edu/funds and search our database of over 2,000 funds, all aimed at supporting our students, faculty, and campuses.