A new food pantry at The College of New Jersey will provide nonperishable food, drinks and convenience items to those in need, both on campus and in the local community.
The food pantry, called The Shop @TCNJ, is located in the TCNJ campus police substation in Campus Town, next to the fitness center. It is ADA accessible and has parking directly in front of the building.
The Shop @TCNJ was a collaborate effort between the college, the Bonner Institute, the AmeriCorp program, and the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank.
“Over the past three years, the TCNJ CARES program has received increased requests from students to provide emergency aid to those struggling to eat consistently or find adequate housing; especially during times when the college is on extended breaks,” Beth Gallus, associate dean of students at TCNJ, said in a statement.
Gallus added that national data suggests that nearly 30 to 40 percent of college students have some level of insecurity. “We believe that through providing food to our campus and local community that we will be addressing at least one of our basic needs,” Gallus said.
The Shop @TCNJ will be open Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to noon and Wednesdays from 2 4:30 p.m. Arrangements can be made for those who may need to access it at other times.
TCNJ student Stephanie Sonbati stocks the shelves at the college’s new food pantry. (Photo by Lauren H. Adams.),
