OU pantry addresses growing food insecurity

Pantry orders placed online await customer pickup.

Pre-med junior Royce Coleman is the student director at the OU Food Pantry.

Refrigerators leftover from the former Cate Center food court offer ideal storage for perishables.

Steady traffic and new faces bring mixed emotions for Royce Coleman, student director of the University of Oklahoma Food Pantry. Though the pre-med junior finds joy and fulfillment in serving the OU community, it stings to know the scope and scale of food insecurity.

“We simultaneously love and hate seeing increasing numbers of clients, because we know we’re helping more people, but it demonstrates how big the problem is, and it’s getting bigger every year,” he said. With the arrival of OU’s largest-ever freshman class this fall, reliable financial contributions are essential to the pantry.

“One in two students at OU experience food insecurity at least once during their time here,” Coleman said. “In that one moment, they need our help.”

Alumni have noticed the changing needs of students since their college days, and many have committed to supporting the pantry through ongoing gifts to the OU Foundation.

“Steve and I can’t recall anyone needing help with nourishment while attending OU from 1968 to 1972,” said pantry supporter Kathy Swatek.

“Things have changed in many ways,” agreed donor Shana Williams, who earned a B.B.A. in accounting at OU in 1989. “The cost of going to school has increased significantly and we are all far more aware of the importance of nutrition and mental health.”

“It’s easy to see how all of those factors could contribute to someone in the OU family needing what the Food Pantry offers more than ever,” said Shana’s husband, Cam Williams, a third-generation Sooner and 1989 finance graduate.

Steve Swatek, a 1972 business administration graduate, agreed. “It is hard to get a good education or be a good employee if you aren't sure where your next meal is coming from,” he said. “We hope the food pantry can become more well-known.”

Both couples give generously to the Price College of Business and OU Athletics, while also recognizing the importance of meeting the OU community’s basic needs.

The pantry’s impact extends beyond the immediate provision of food. It offers a sense of relief and community for students, faculty and staff who might be far from home. A comfortable lounge area containing toys, phone chargers and even a lending library offers a warm welcome to visitors, especially clients accompanied by children.

“Every week, (pantry director) Matt Marks and I talk about new ways to welcome people in, or make it easier for them to get things,” Coleman explained. This includes rearranging the community space to make it more user-friendly and introducing new food items based on client feedback and requests. An online order form also expedites the order pickup process.

Located in the former Cate Center food court, the pantry has repurposed commercial kitchen equipment and a deli case, which provide additional capacity for produce and other perishable goods.

“We really appreciate OU letting us use this space” Coleman said. However, the pantry operates through donations, without direct fiscal backing from the university. Therefore, support from donors is critical to its continued existence.

"OU is at the heart of our life story," said Shana Williams. "With the attachment we feel for the OU community, we want to give back any way that we can, and the Food Pantry seems like one of the most impactful ways to do that."

Donors are invited to witness the pantry’s impact and operations in person. The Swateks visited the pantry earlier this year.

“We met with Matt and were very impressed with his leadership and his staff,” Kathy said. “Not only does the pantry have food, but they have added clothing and other necessities to meet people's needs.” Household goods, hygiene items and paper goods round out the pantry’s offerings to nearly replicate a selection from a small retail shop.

“We want our staff and our students to know that they’ve got someone in their corner,” said Marks. “There are so many great resources on this campus and we're proud to be one of them.”

Learn more about OU's food pantry here.