Eastern University has received the PA Hunger-Free Campus grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The award totals $39,618 and will support the efforts of the Student Government Association’s Eagles Food & Hygiene Pantry on campus. The pantry was created to fight food insecurity and ensure that the basic needs of all students are being met.

This funding will allow the pantry to expand its sites from four to all seven residence halls across Eastern’s St. David’s campus. Additionally, the organization will use the money to purchase refrigeration, add additional shelving space, provide a wider variety of food products for students with specific dietary needs, and support and develop methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the pantry program.

Eastern is one of only 30 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania that were selected to receive this award and one of only two colleges in Delaware County. This grant marks the third Eastern has received this fiscal year to support the pantry. Others include: 

• A $6,000 grant from Swipe Out Hunger, which partners with college campuses nationwide to end student hunger.
• A $1,500 award from the Wawa Foundation to purchase food for the pantry and provide students with gift cards for local restaurants and grocery stores.  

“The difference this grant will make for Eastern students is tremendous, and we are extremely grateful,” said Dr. Jackie Irving, Associate Vice President for Student Development. “As Eastern grows, so does the need for food and supplies for students who experience food insecurity. We are a university that prioritizes affordable, accessible education for all — and that means doing what we can to fight hunger on our campus.”

Learn more about the Hunger-Free Campus Grant and how Eastern University, a Christian university enrolling approximately 7,000 students in its undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs, instills its core values of faith, reason, and justice into all of its educational programs.