Galloway, N.J. — Stockton Cares recently launched a new pilot program on the university campus called Pop-Up Pantries through the Food Assistance Program with help from a grant from the state of New Jersey.

Pop-Up Pantries are currently located in Stockton Cares in F-107, the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Center in F-103, and the Military and Veteran Success Center in F-105.

These newly implemented Pop-Up Pantries allow students enrolled in the Food Assistance Program to conveniently access quick, ready-to-eat meals. The meals are microwavable and easily portable for busy students with little time between classes. Some of the funding for the program came from a $27,500 grant Stockton received from the New Jersey Office of the Secretary for Higher Education’s (OSHE) Hunger-Free Campus Act.

According to OSHE’s Spring 2025 Student Food Security Survey, food insecurity among college students persists, affecting 36% of the 11,877 students who responded and 50% of first-generation students. Nearly half (45%) of students had difficulty affording balanced meals and even with lifeline federal assistance programs, 65% of students still reported food insecurity.

“We saw a need for students to have quick access to food, especially in spaces that are comfortable and familiar,” said Kelly Burns, student basic needs resources coordinator for Stockton Cares.

Stockton often promotes its fully stocked food pantries located in the Townsend Residential Life Center and the Atlantic City campus, where students can pick up groceries and personal care items for the week. The Pop-Up Pantries serve as an extension of that service by providing ready-to-eat meals near classrooms.

The goal of Stockton Cares with this initiative is not just to help students meet their basic food needs but also to eliminate some of the stigma that comes with going to a food pantry.

“You don't need to consider yourself food insecure to get the help you need. You just have to ask for it. We're here to help and connect you to resources,” Burns said.

Stockton Cares encourages students in need to enroll in the Food Assistance Program to become eligible to use all pantry locations on campus.

After enrolling, students who use the pantries are required to sign in through a QR code provided at each location and take what they need. Students are not required to disclose information about their current situation, and discretion is highly valued at every location.

The Food Assistance Program accepts food donations throughout the year at its main pantry locations. In the future, Stockton Cares plans to expand the initiative to more campus locations if it proves successful.

Students interested in learning more about the Pop-Up Pantries can visit Stockton Cares, or contact Kelly Burns at kelly.burns@stockton.edu.

— Story by Laura Leonel, photos by Abbigail Erbacher