Mission & History: The mission of the Satellite Food Pantry Program is to meet students in need where they are within the communities that they are a part of and provide quick and accessible support. Satellite locations offer flexibility to students who have trouble getting enough to eat on a daily basis and allow for easy access to food regardless of where their schedule takes them on a busy day.
The Community Food Pantry Team can provide assistance with the organization and logistics of each of the satellite locations, but these pantries operate independently to best serve the specific needs of their students.
Locations Around Grounds: Currently, there are five operational satellite locations on-Grounds that students have full access to during the school year:
School of Nursing
Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center
School of Engineering & Applied Science
School of Architecture
Facilities Management
It should be noted that other schools are also doing great work to provide items to students in their schools, though they are not advertised as satellites as they are not currently made available for students outside of their school.
Interested in STARTING a Satellite Pantry?
For those interested in joining the satellite network, the main requirements are space, funding, and logistics. The first step is identifying a space that is easy to find and allows for the safe storage of the type of food that serves your community well. Some locations are able to utilize space that is equipped with refrigeration and stock perishable products, but please note that this is not a requirement. Identifying a suitable space depends on the individual needs of your community. When considering funding and logistics, we recommend considering how items will be purchased and how the space will be monitored for restocking needs.
General Stocking Guidelines: What is stocked at each of the locations depends on the needs of their students who access the space regularly, but each location is encouraged to keep dry staples of nutritional and filling food on hand and/or hygiene items. Locations are also encouraged to take specific dietary needs into consideration when stocking their staple goods, including meatless, gluten free, and culturally specific items can be vital in providing choice to visitors experiencing food insecurity.
Other Considerations: When committing to be listed as a satellite location, you are committing to keeping resources available for students who are served by your location. Each location should operate with relative independence while also keeping in touch and communicating needs or trends. While tracking usage of your space is not required, data collection can assist with understanding trends and the needs of your community.
If at any time your location choose to cease operation, please inform the Care & Support Team in a timely manner so that referrals for students are accurate.
For more info about Satellite Pantries, the UVA Community Food Pantry, or additional support resources, please email the Care & Support Team at cass@virginia.edu.