Montclair State Gives

Established in April 2016 by Student Development and Campus Life, the Red Hawk Pantry serves the needs of students who may be struggling with issues of food insecurity – a situation that an on-campus survey showed affects more than 10 percent of our students.

To combat the reality and struggle of food insecurity for our students, Student Development and Campus Life has established the Red Hawk Pantry. On April 18, 2016, the on-campus food pantry opened for the first time and continues to serve the needs of our students. To assess these needs, a survey was sent to all students prior to the opening of the pantry. Of the nearly 200 Montclair State students surveyed, 10% expressed food insecurity on a daily basis, while 15% expressed a need on weekly basis and 12% on a monthly basis.

According to Sonja Tillman, Coordinator of the Red Hawk Pantry, there have been over 1,000 visits to the Red Hawk Pantry since its opening two years ago. In addition to the funds raised by donors, alumni and campus partners have also donated food, toiletry and household items to the pantry. The monetary donations have allowed Tillman to purchase fresh food items, providing more options for the students in need. The donations also allow for the pantry to adapt to the changing needs of our student population.