1) An AmeriCorps VISTA member established a food pantry at Wright State University to address food insecurity among students. 2) The pantry has served over 126 students and 47 of their children, providing over 1,000 meals. 3) The pantry has engaged over 100 service-learning students as volunteers and helped students stay in school by meeting their basic needs.

1. Engaging campuses in service to the community
Ohio Campus Compact VISTA Impact Report 2010-2011:
Wright State University
The Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA member strategically connects college resources with
communities in need. Corps members gain valuable experience and educational awards. Campuses
expand their civic outreach. Community partners receive critical support.
Poverty Alleviation Focus Area: Food insecurity
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
In the fall of 2009, a group involved in coordinating For more information contact:
student service-learning and community service activities VISTA Corps member: Rebecca Fensler
at Wright State University discovered that a number of (937) 775-2082 • rebecca.fensler@wright.edu
faculty and staff members were encountering students in Site Supervisor: Cathy Sayer
need of food. A campus survey revealed that 48% of (937) 775-2471• cathy.sayer@wright.edu
students polled had experienced food insecurity while Ohio Campus Compact VISTA Sr. Program Director:
attending WSU. Food insecurity among students at WSU Lesha Farias (740) 587-8571 • lfarias@ohiocampuscompact.org
is the result of several factors. Traditional students www.ohiocampuscompact.org
attending college away from home may have access to
social services in their home communities, but may have
limited access in Greene or Montgomery counties, where
the University is located. Many WSU students must
balance family with work and school. Some have recently
become unemployed. These difficulties have become
increasingly problematic for college students during the
current economic crisis, especially nontraditional students
with families. This discovery led Cathy Sayer, Director of
Service-Learning, to seek the assistance of an
AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer. Rebecca Fensler, an Ohio
Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA, now serves as
coordinator for the WSU Friendship Food Pantry for
students.
“WSU students at-risk of food insecurity now have a
place to go on campus to help meet their basic needs.
Faculty and staff often deal with student problems that
are outside of the academic realm, but directly impact
Under the leadership of Ohio Campus Compact VISTA
classroom success. We believe the opening of the
Rebecca Fensler, Wright State University established
pantry helps students focus on their studies, promotes one of only two food pantries serving students on a
retention rates, and creates a campus environment that college campus in Ohio. The mission of the WSU
is
welcoming of all students” Friendship Food Pantry is to provide emergency food
---DR. SARAH TWILL, PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL WORK, assistance to students in times of need, helping them to
WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY stay in school and meet their educational goals. The
COMMUNITY IMPACT pantry aligns itself with other campus and community
As part of a larger initiative to get WSU service-learning resources and agencies that promote the well-being of
students and student volunteers involved in the its students. A dedicated staff of volunteers from the
community by serving with agencies and organizations WSU community has served over 115 students since
working to combat hunger and homelessness, WSU the pantry’s opening on February 3, 2011.
Friendship Food Pantry volunteers have contributed The
over 174 hours and have served 126 students in need
(continued on reverse)

2. and 47 of their dependent children. The pantry operates as an
emergency pantry, offering three meals a day for two days to students and The VISTA Impact
their qualifying dependents. This amounts to 1,038 meals served through by the numbers:
the pantry so far.
Students served: 126
Perhaps one of the pantry’s most significant contributions to the local and
campus communities is that it has changed the way people think of college
Students’ dependent children served: 47
students. Because more people of all backgrounds are attending college
and a university education is becoming more important, today’s college Total meals: 1,038
student may be a first-generation college student, a non-traditional
student supporting a family, or someone experiencing unemployment. Number of volunteers: 32
College students at WSU, a University where most students commute to
classes, are also members of our local communities. WSU has served Total volunteer hours: 174
students who are homeless and students at-risk of becoming homeless.
34% of students served through the pantry are supporting families while Money raised: $2,899.98
attending WSU.
CAMPUS IMPACT
Since September 2010, Ohio Campus Compact VISTA, Rebecca Fensler, “The pantry is really helping those students
and several service-learning faculty members at WSU have engaged 128 that have learned of it and they are beginning
service-learning students and volunteers in service to the food pantry. to pass the word on to other students. It gives
Combined they have served over 600 hours. Not only has the pantry them a sense of belonging on our campus
made an impact on students who have helped sort food, organize the and lets them know we do care about their
pantry, and assist student clients, it has made a difference in the lives of well being inside and outside of the
over 100 students who have received emergency food and meal cards classroom. Other organizations on campus
from the pantry. Having heard of the pantry in the local and campus want to learn more about it and what they
media, many staff and student organizations have planned and can do to help keep it stocked.” ---JOYCE
implemented food drives and fundraisers for the pantry. Students in SMITH, WSU FRIENDSHIP FOOD PANTRY
service-learning classes raised over $500 for the pantry. Generous VOLUNTEER
support from campus groups and departments, local community members
and
alumni, as well as local grocery stores continues to keep the pantry
well-stocked. When it first opened in February 2011, the pantry was a About Ohio Campus Compact
10x10 room. It was soon apparent that this space would be inadequate AmeriCorps*VISTA
for the pantry’s services. The pantry now consists of three rooms,
allowing for ample space for client intake, shopping, and food storage. Ohio Campus Compact is a statewide nonprofit
Recently, through WSU donor support, the pantry was able to purchase a coalition of colleges and university presidents and
refrigerator so that students in need can receive dairy products, bread, their campuses working to promote the civic
and produce along with their non-perishables. The expansion of pantry purposes of higher education. Ohio Campus
services is a testament to the generosity of the local and campus Compact provides resources, services &
communities and WSU’s dedication to helping at-risk students succeed in partnerships to help Ohio campuses deepen their
meeting their educational goals. ability to educate students for civic and social
responsibility and to improve community life.
KEEPING THE PARTNERSHIP STRONG: OPPORTUNITIES FOR
THE FUTURE AmeriCorps*VISTA is the national service program
designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as
In collaboration with staff from Student Affairs, Student Support and
Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and
Health Services, as well as service-learning faculty, the WSU Friendship
incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of
Food Pantry was able to serve students in need by providing emergency
programs in 1993, VISTA has been on the front
food and referral services in a way that could not have been possible
lines in the fight against poverty in America for
without this collaborative effort. The pantry should look to expand the
more than 40 years.
services it provides even further by offering Ohio Benefit Bank services as
well as working with local growers to provide fresh produce to students.
The Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps*
Further, in order to ensure long-term sustainability of pantry services,
VISTA Program places and supports VISTAs who
Wright State should look to institutionalizing the position of Food Pantry
create and expand programs designed to bring
Coordinator under the umbrella of Student Affairs or an expanded
individuals and communities out of poverty. VISTAs
Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement which would allow for serve in the poorest areas of their communities to
service-learning students and student and staff volunteers to serve in the tackle poverty-related problems such as hunger and
pantry under a coordinator in either office. This type of institutionalization homelessness, financial literacy, veteran student
would assure that volunteers are recruited and trained and that food and services, public health and college access. More
monetary resources will continue to meet the needs of WSU students. information at: www.ohiocampuscompact.org