Big Blue Pantry Stocks Up For Students By Grace Colville
The University of Kentucky’s Big Blue Pantry is the free, on-campus food pantry open to all enrolled UK students. For the 2021-2022 school year, the Big Blue Pantry has returned to in-person shopping! Visitors will be able to enter the pantry space and shop for themselves. There are no qualifying questions to access the pantry — all you need is a valid UK Student ID. Visitors will complete a short intake form on each visit to record the weight of the food products they take.
The mission of the Big Blue Pantry is to provide support and awareness for food insecure students across campus, as well as to educate the broader student population about hunger. Since opening its doors in 2014, the Big Blue Pantry has grown annually in both number of visitors and food provided for students. Primarily supported by donations, the Big Blue Pantry accepts both monetary donations and physical donations. To donate to the Big Blue Pantry Gift Fund, please visit this website. If you would like to partner with the Big Blue Pantry for a donation drive, please contact them at bigbluepantry@uky.edu.
The Big Blue Pantry stocks a wide variety of food products, as well as personal hygiene products and household cleaning supplies. Because the pantry is supported by donations, items on the shelf may change frequently. The Big Blue Pantry works to keep staples (milk, eggs, bread, peanut butter, soups, canned vegetables, canned meat and pasta) on the shelf at all times.
This semester’s hours of operation will be:
- Monday: 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Tuesday: 2-5 p.m.
- Wednesday: 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Thursday: 2-5 p.m.
- Friday: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Hours are subject to change throughout the semester. The Big Blue Pantry will be closed on Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 6).
The Big Blue Pantry is located in the basement of White Hall Classroom Building, Room 025 (right next to the Post Office). If you are unable to stop by during the hours listed above, please send an email to bigbluepantry@uky.edu to schedule an appointment.
You can also follow the Big Blue Pantry on social media to stay updated on business hours, available products and free food events going on around campus. Follow them on Twitteror Instagram and like them on Facebook.
To learn more about the Big Blue Pantry, visit its website: www.uky.edu/concern/big-blue-pantry.