Food Initiatives
Essential Needs Food Pantry
Currently registered WMU students, with their Bronco ID, can access food at the pantry as often as every two weeks. The pantry is located in the Kiva Room (1000 Faunce Student Services), accessible from a private entrance in the center rear of the building, near Seita Scholars offices.
The pantry offers frozen and shelf stable food items, limited fresh food items, as well as an array of personal care products. We are a donation based food pantry, which means food items will vary each week based on the donations we receive.
Winter Recess Hours
- December 16 - 19: 10:00am-12:00pm
- January 3: 10:00am-12:00pm
The pantry will be closed when WMU is closed, including snow days. The pantry is closed during the following scheduled University breaks and holidays this year:
- October 16 - 18: closed for Fall Break
- November 27 -19: closed for Thanksgiving Recess
- December 23 - January 2: closed for Winter Recess
- January 20: closed for MLK Jr. Day
- March 3 - 7: closed for Spring Break
- April 28: closed, end of the Spring Semester.
We recommend following us on Instagram to stay up to date on pantry hours, closures and available products.
Food Pantry policies
- Students are asked NOT to visit the pantry while sick.
- Please bring your Bronco ID card with you when you visit.
- Once you log in, your pantry visit starts. Students may visit the pantry once every two weeks.
- Certain items may have a limit based on availability. Signs will be posted clarifying such limits, we ask that all students respect these limits.
- Students may fill up to two Essential Needs tote bags at each visit. Two tote bags will be given at your first visit. After your first visit, please bring the two bags each time you visit the food pantry.
Bronco Boxes
Bronco Boxes is a mobile fresh food distribution. During this drive-thru distribution, students remain in their cars and volunteers place a Bronco Box in their back seat and/or trunk. Bronco Boxes are pre-assembled boxes of 20+ pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and bakery items. Bronco Boxes are limited to 1 per student.
To receive a Bronco Box, please join us at an upcoming distribution. Distributions are held at 2:30pm on the third Tuesday of each month a the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. You will need to remain in your car, and drive through the main loop in front of the college.
Winter Recess distribution:
- December 17th
Spring Semester distributions:
- January 21st
- February 18th
- March 18th
- April 15th
Criteria
To access these food resources, individuals must:
- Be a WMU student and bring their student ID with them.
- Be currently registered for at least one credit hour (summer access based on current summer or following fall registration).
- Only utilize the food pantry as often as once every two weeks. Getting a Bronco Box does not count as a food pantry visit.
History
In recent years, campus communities across the nation have recognized that there are large populations of students who go hungry. Campus food pantries have become a critical resource for students in need. WMU's food pantry opened in September 2014, located in a storage room in the Faunce Student Services Building, provided by the Division of Student Affairs. Based on growing student need and campus support, the Kiva room was renovated and became the new home to the Essential Needs Food Pantry in Fall 2018.