BLUEFIELD, W.Va. –Bluefield State University is taking steps to address student food insecurity by reopening its food pantry.
The pantry, which was renovated and relocated, reopened last Thursday and is now located in the Othello Harris-Jefferson Student Center, adjacent to the game room.
Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Dr. Ted Lewis told MetroNews the pantry gives students the opportunity to access food when needed.
“Students can come and get food, no questions asked, we don’t want to stigmatize any student that does have food insecurity, so they can come in and they can pick up any type of food that we got, we got a pretty wide variety,” Lewis said.
The expansion of the food pantry follows Bluefield State University’s membership in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which led to a partnership with Food Lion Feeds, a major sponsor of the conference.
Initially, Food Lion Feeds provided gift cards to support the pantry, but the effort quickly grew into its current partnership.
Lewis said Food Lion Feeds has agreed to help keep the pantry stocked by providing food at the beginning of each semester.
He added that the pantry offers a wide variety of items.
“We’ve got meals ready to prepare, canned food, we’ve got a freezer in there with frozen food that they’ve provided for us, we’ve also got personal hygiene products, so it really is a full-service food pantry,” Lewis said.
He added that if the pantry runs low on any item, staff can contact Food Lion Feeds, which will provide additional supplies.
The pantry has also received support from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, along with other campus and alumni groups.
Lewis said the food pantry adds to the range of services Bluefield State University offers to support student success.
“We have resources for students around campus, whether were talking about the tutoring resources, whether we have the financial aid resources, counseling resources and this is filling a gap for students once again who suffer from food insecurity that we now have that available for them at any time, no questions asked,” he said.
The university also recently reopened its hot meal services on the main campus. Last Tuesday, it opened Big Blue Bites to enhance the student experience as enrollment grows.
“We work with Aramark Food Service on our Bluefield campus, and we reopened the cafeteria in the last week to serve meals on campus,” Lewis said.
Big Blue Bites is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The reopening of the cafeteria reflects Bluefield State University’s continued investment in student life, including efforts to enhance campus amenities, expand housing, and support the overall student experience.
Lewis said it is beneficial to partner with multiple organizations to provide essential resources to students.
“It’s our privilege to be able to work with such committed partners as Food Lion, our Student Government Association, our alumni association and local fraternity’s and sororities to be able to serve the needs our students,” he said.