FeedODU
FeedODU
FeedODU is a Student Engagement & Enrollment Services initiative which addresses food insecurity on campus by connecting Monarchs to a network of food resources, education, and support.
What is food insecurity?
Food insecurity is defined as not having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. National data suggests about 1 in 5 college students will experience food insecurity during their time as a student.
Food insecurity can affect students' ability to be successful in college and focus on completing their degree program. FeedODU seeks to ensure that every Monarch can get the most of their education by connecting students who are experiencing food insecurity to food resources on campus.
You might be experiencing food insecurity if you have ever...
- worried that you may not have enough money for food
- skipped a meal because you don't have food and might struggle to buy more
- found yourself unable to eat nutritious meals becasue you cannot purchase a variety of foods
- gone hungry because of a lack of money
Food Resources
How to Help
Thank you for your interest in supporting food insecurity initiatives at ODU! Every year individual students and faculty/staff, student organizations, classes, departments, and offices work with us to combat food insecurity on campus.
Donate
If you are interested in making a donation of food or toiletry items, you can contact pantry@odu.edu to receive a list of most needed items and arrange for a donation drop off!
The Monarch Pantry also has an Amazon wishlist, and you can ship needed items directly to the pantry from anywhere. You can donate directly to the Monarch Pantry here.
Volunteer
The Monarch Pantry offers opportunities for students and staff members to get involved, such as "Wipe Down Wednesdays," and more! If you're interested in volunteering, please email pantry@odu.edu with your name, contact information, and availability. We'd love to have you volunteer with us!
Share
A big barrier that students can experience to accessing resources is simply not knowing that those resources exist. One of the ways you can help address food insecurity on campus is helping to spread the word about what it is, and what we're doing to address it.
We encourage you to share information about FeedODU to students widely! For example, you can:
- Share the link to our website
- Like & share posts from our FeedODU social media or from our partners
- Include language in your syllabus about food insecurity
- Post flyers in your office building or residence hall about food insecurity (make sure these follow all the necessary protocols per our Posting Policy!)
Please reach out to our team at pantry@odu.edu if you have ideas or questions that you may need assistance with!