by Emma Fleming
There are a variety of resources available to students on Parkland’s campus. One important resource that students are welcome and encouraged to utilize is the Wesley Food Pantry located in room M138. According to the Parkland website, the Food Pantry’s missions is to, “alleviate food insecurity in our community one student/family at a time by providing them with one week’s worth of nutritious groceries.” The Parkland branch, which has been operating since 2013, is open to students every Wednesday from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m., and every first and third Saturday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
For any students interested in visiting the Wesley Food Pantry, there are two options in which to obtain groceries. According to the Parkland website, students can choose option one, which means that, “You may visit our Evening Pantry at Wesley once a month and our Parkland Pantry, in Champaign, once a month.” There is also option two, which states that, “You may visit our Parkland Pantry twice in a month but CANNOT visit the Evening Pantry at all during that same month.” The Evening Pantry is located at Wesley United Methodist Church on West Green Street in Urbana. Also, only one member from any household can visit the food pantry.
Josh Clark, Parkland’s Activities and Program Manager who has worked with the Wesley Food Pantry, would like students to know that, “The Pantry serves students on campus by providing students a place where they can get a week’s worth of groceries, including meat, cheese and fresh vegetables, for free. The Wesley Food Pantry also can connect students in need to other resources in the community. The Wesley Food Pantry also offers internships and volunteer opportunities to students.” The food pantry provides many different experiences for students. Whether looking for a few extra snacks or trying to find an internship opportunity, the Wesley Food Pantry can provide students extra support. “Students can volunteer with the Pantry during food distributions and unloading trucks,” Clark said. “They also have a variety of internship opportunities.”
The Wesley Food Pantry plays several important roles at Parkland and in the community. According to the Wesley Food Pantry website, the pantry strives, “to address the root causes of food insecurity by providing our clients with health, education, employment, and social services information.” If there is additional information that students or community members need, the Wesley Food Pantry strives to meet that need in the most efficient way possible. “Students should know that the Wesley Food Pantry is very focused on providing a great experience for consumers of the pantry,” Clark said. “They do not require students to fill out a lot of paperwork, they allow students to choose what food they want and don’t want, and they have a variety of fresh and high-quality food, not just cans or non-perishables.” The Parkland branch of the Wesley Food Pantry is unique in that obtaining groceries and information does not require an abundance of extra work from visitors.
However, patrons of the food pantry may be asked to confirm whether their income is below 185% of the federal poverty level, according to the Parkland website. Even though this may be asked, proof of income is not required at this time. When attending the Wesley Food Pantry at Parkland, be sure to bring a form of identification, like a driver’s license or Parkland ID, and be prepared to confirm your income level.
Many students do not realize that there is a food pantry associated with Parkland. In the past, there have been barriers that have kept students from utilizing the pantry. “There are more ways that Parkland could encourage and support students using the Wesley Food Pantry,” Clark said. “And we work with the Wesley Food Pantry to try and find solutions to the barriers that prevent students from using the Wesley Food Pantry.” If there is anything that is preventing you from using the Wesley Food Pantry, please contact the pantry at info@wesleypantry.org or the office of Student Life at stulife@parkland.edu.
