To mitigate the damaging effects of hunger and food insecurity on campus, John Brown University established Servant’s Heart Community Pantry in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and they found a student manager with a servant’s heart to run it.
Deb Ramirez, junior psychology major, manages JBU’s on-campus food pantry along with Denise Farine, administrative assistant in the Student Development office, and Rhonda Hostler, director of health services.
Since last August, Ramirez has contributed to the food pantry not only by sharing her vision and ideas but also by taking orders, packing them and handing them out to students experiencing food insecurity.
A commuter herself, Ramirez understands some of the struggles of accessing food on campus. “I honestly had never heard of the pantry up until the end of my sophomore year, so I had no clue as to what it was,” Ramirez explained. “When I finally looked into it, I thought that there are so many people on campus who just really need the help, but at the same time, I’d also forget my wallet or lunch, and I’d have to wait until I got home to eat.”
Research done by senior political science major Caitlyn Aversman found that about 37.2% of JBU students struggle with food insecurity or risk food insecurity. According to its official website, the food pantry “was established with our commuter students in mind to help each student be successful without food insecurity.”
On food insecurity at JBU, Ramirez said she was completely shocked to know how much food insecurity they found on campus. “As a commuter, I come to school, leave and go home. I didn’t realize that there was a big need for [the pantry] and there’s also a stigma that, because you go to a private university, you are rich.”
By submitting an online form, students can pick up their orders at the pantry during working hours or after-hours at lockers with a lock attached to it. Students receive an email with the combination and locker number to pick up their orders. “I would definitely see areas of improvement when it comes to the pantry, because we serve a lot more people than we did last semester,” Ramirez added. “We’re reaching more people, and we have JBU supporting us. They have helped us establish our new area because we used to work at a closet, literally.”
At the Arkansas Hunger Relief Summit on April 14 in Little Rock, JBU’s food pantry received a $1,000 grant to cover needs and stock up the pantry for next year. “This money is a huge blessing because we are donation-based, so anything we could buy to help stock the pantry is great,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez, who attended the summit and shared her work at the food pantry, reflected on normalizing conversations surrounding collegiate food insecurity. “We all need to eat. No one deserves food more or less,” she emphasized. “If you have a friend or know someone who is struggling with food insecurity, talk about it. But do it in a way that’s humbling and gracious because it could be hard for someone to talk about. It’s important that we all look out for one another.”