About Us

2023-24 Annual Report

The Cobber Food Pantry opened in May 2020 by the Office of Student Engagement. It has since evolved and as of Summer 2024, the Cobber Food Pantry is located in and managed by the Center for Holistic Health. CHH is committed to advancing all basic needs for Concordia students and we are excited for this next chapter of the Cobber Food Pantry.

At Concordia College, we recognize that access to regular, healthy meals and snacks is a human right.

We are grateful to the countless students, specifically our minoritized students, who over many years have voiced the need for the college to provide support in meeting this basic need.

We are committed to sustaining a fully-functioning food pantry and to educating the campus community about food insecurity.

Our Story

The Cobber Food Pantry is the product of many conversations lead by students over the past few years, sharing the need for the campus to provide resources to students facing food insecurity.

In Fall 2018, senior student researchers enrolled in a Food Nutrition Science course at Concordia conducted a survey, sent to the entire student body. That same year, Residence Life included a Financial Hardship section in their resident feedback survey. The findings from these surveys indicated that 30% of our students face food insecurity in some form, and almost 13% indicate that this is an issue they face monthly. When asked which resources would help them the most, the overwhelming choice selected by students was a food pantry that also provided personal care products.

In Fall 2019, Abigayle Reese ’20 (then Vice President of SGA), surveyed Concordia students to gather their personal experiences and narratives regarding food insecurity. In Spring 2020, Reese, along with Nathalie Rinehardt (Assistant Dean of Students), proposed and co-presented a concurrent session to increase awareness around food insecurity during MLK Day. This session further sparked interest and desire from a small group of staff members to address and play a significant role in reducing the barriers that students face in accessing sufficient, healthy food on a regular basis.

Fast forward to March 2020, as a result of the impacts of COVID-19, the number of students facing food insecurity increased significantly, which became apparent from the information collected through student surveys during the pandemic.

We are grateful to all the students who over many years expressed the need for an on-campus resource to aid in reducing food insecurity.

View Food Insecurity Presentation

The Numbers

We know that nationwide, the phenomenon that college students face significant barriers in regular access to healthy meals.

Studies* show that food insecurity remains a persistent challenge for college students, despite their access to other resources and means.

30% of college students are food insecure
56% of food insecure college students are employed
75% of food insecure students receive financial aid
43% of food insecure students have a meal plan

In addition, studies* found that food insecurity is more prevalant among the more minoritized college students:

57% of Black or African American students reported food insecurity, compared to 40% of non-Hispanic white students.
56% of first-generation students were food insecure, compared to 45% of students who had at least one parent who attended college

Problems with access to abundant, healthy food impacts students' ability to succeed in college:

55% of students reported not buying a required textbook due to food insecurity
53% of students reported missing a class
25% of students reported dropping a class

*All stats here taken from the 2018 GAO Report & 2018 Hunger on Campus Report, studies that are hosted on the College & University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA) website: www.cufba.org.

Proud Partner

Since September 2020, we are a proud partner of the Great Plains Food Bank. As an official partner, we are able to purchase and receive food from their many established resources.

The Great Plains Food Bank also offers a food rescue program and an abundance of education on food insecurity and running a food pantry.

Here are examples of the nutritious (and tasty!) food we can access through the Great Plains Food Bank:

Cereal
Canned fruits and vegetables
Almond Milk
Frozen food such as vegetables, meat, grain free pizza
Pasta
Coffee and tea
Cooking condiments such as broth, rice vinegar, soy sauce
Protein drinks
Beans and lentils
Flour
Non food items such as toiletries and cleaning supplies

Their food rescue program gives us access to:

Fresh produce
Dairy
Bakery items
Retail meals such as PowerPlate frozen entrees

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