Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Message from the President

Of all the many ways we try to provide holistic support for our students, one of my favorites is the Privateer Pantry. Food insecurity is a far-reaching problem that affects college students across the nation. How can we expect our students to fully devote themselves to their academic pursuits if they are concerned that they don’t have enough to eat? That’s where the Privateer Pantry comes in. Since 2017, the pantry has provided supplemental food support to current UNO students with shelf-stable food, personal care items and recipes. 

With Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week approaching (November 18-22), now is an ideal time to highlight the role of the Privateer Pantry in the lives of our students. Compared to a year ago, we have seen a significant increase in pantry orders. Since the beginning of the current semester, pantry staff have filled 425 orders, which translates to approximately 4,700 food and personal care items for 195 UNO students. As we approach the holiday season, we expect the demand to remain steady. 

Students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members can help support this vital resource by donating items in the main Student Affairs office on the second floor of the University Center, placing an order on our Amazon Wish List or by making a monetary donation. Faculty and staff can also donate through payroll deduction in Workday as a one-time or recurring donation. All of these options are spelled out on the Privateer Pantry’s webpage. Five dollars can buy bags of rice for five students. Twenty dollars can buy laundry pods for 60 students. Fifty dollars can buy canned tuna or chicken for 20 students. Any amount helps. 

Our Student Affairs staff members frequently hear heartfelt testimonials from students about how much they appreciate the Privateer Pantry. To me, this says that the pantry truly matters. It makes me proud that our institution has a history of supporting our students in this way to help them to achieve their full potential. 

With UNO Pride,

Kathy Johnson, Ph.D.
President
The University of New Orleans