Tackling College Hunger: How Temple University’s Cherry Pantry and Philabundance Are Making a Difference

When most people think of hunger, they often imagine families, individuals struggling with unemployment, or those experiencing homelessness. But hunger doesn’t always look the way we expect—it can be found in places that may surprise you, like college campuses.

In fact, food insecurity is an increasingly common problem among college students. According to recent studies, nearly 40 million students face food insecurity in the United States at some point during their academic journey. This means that many students are forced to make difficult decisions between paying for tuition, textbooks, and essentials like food.

At Philabundance, our mission is to eliminate hunger wherever it exists, and this includes the hunger many college students experience every day. Recently, we had the opportunity to visit Temple University’s Cherry Pantry, a resource that has been making a huge impact in the fight against student hunger.

It’s easy to overlook hunger on college campuses, especially when these institutions are often seen as places of opportunity, growth, and achievement. However, many students face an uphill battle, balancing the high costs of education, housing, and everyday living expenses. For some, affording a meal becomes an impossible task.

Students facing food insecurity often experience higher levels of stress, reduced academic performance, and in some cases, are forced to drop out of school entirely. When students don’t have access to nutritious meals, it doesn’t just impact their physical health—it affects their ability to focus in class, complete assignments, and participate in extracurricular activities that are crucial for personal and professional growth.

At Temple University, the Cherry Pantry was created to address this very issue.

 

What is the Cherry Pantry?

Temple’s Cherry Pantry is a food pantry that serves students who are experiencing food insecurity. Open to all students with a valid university ID, the pantry offers a variety of free food items, including non-perishable goods, produce, and personal hygiene products. Its mission is simple but powerful: to ensure that no student has to make the difficult choice between their education and their next meal.

By providing free, nutritious food, the Cherry Pantry gives students the opportunity to focus on their studies, without worrying about where their next meal will come from. The pantry is also a space where students can access resources and support without feeling stigmatized.

Ella Hyde, a student worker at the Cherry Pantry, emphasized the importance of the pantry’s offerings, stating:

“We offer a lot of food that can be used for multiple meals like pasta, rice, and we have a lot of fresh produce and let students take as much as they want. We have milk a lot now because of Philabundance. We have hygiene [products], which I think is huge.”

Thanks to the Cherry Pantry and support from Philabundance, students can access not only nutritious meals but also essential hygiene products that are often overlooked when discussing food insecurity.

Natalie Knox, another student worker at the Cherry Pantry, spoke to the challenges that many students face as they transition from on-campus to off-campus living. She explained:

“Definitely has given me a lot more perspective on how the transition from campus housing to off-campus housing has intercepted with food insecurity. At first, there was a stigma, not a lot of people knew about the pantry. But with inflation and more students, I’ve seen a lot of students utilize the pantry.”

Natalie also highlighted an important issue tied to food insecurity: self-confidence and the stigma that sometimes comes with using a food pantry.

“An underlying issue that conjoins with food insecurity is self-confidence or feeling insecure when coming in and utilizing a food pantry. We don’t have a limit on how much nail polish you can take. If you’re not food secure, then you’re food insecure. When addressing food insecurity, you also have to address the social, physical, and well-being side of it.”

These insights reveal how food insecurity is more than just a lack of access to meals—it touches on students’ social and emotional well-being. By offering students not only food but also a supportive environment free of judgment, the Cherry Pantry helps address the broader impacts of hunger.

 

Philabundance and the Fight Against Student Hunger

At Philabundance, we’ve seen the instant impact that access to food can have on individuals and communities. Our visit to the Cherry Pantry reaffirmed how critical partnerships with organizations like Temple University are in our broader mission to end hunger in our region.

During our visit, we saw firsthand how the Cherry Pantry is providing much-needed support to students. From shelves stocked with healthy foods to dedicated staff and volunteers ensuring the pantry runs smoothly, the Cherry Pantry is a lifeline for students who need it most.

Our support for the Cherry Pantry is part of our larger commitment to addressing food insecurity in all its forms. Hunger can be found in every community, from families to seniors to, yes, college students. By working together with local universities, food banks, and community organizations, we can ensure that no one—whether a student, parent, or senior citizen—has to face hunger alone.

 

How You Can Help

The fight against hunger is a community effort, and there are many ways you can help support students in need. Here’s how you can get involved:

  1. Donate to Philabundance: Your donations help us continue our mission to eliminate hunger in the Philadelphia area.
  2. Support the Cherry Pantry: Temple University’s Cherry Pantry accepts donations of non-perishable food items, hygiene products, and financial contributions. Every little bit helps make a difference for a student in need.
  3. Spread the Word: Hunger on college campuses is a growing problem, but it’s not widely discussed. Share what you’ve learned with friends, family, and colleagues to raise awareness about student hunger and how we can all play a part in ending it.

 

 

Philabundance Awards 49 Member Agencies with Capacity Grants

Philabundance Awards 49 Member Agencies with Capacity Grants

Philabundance has announced $250,000 in 2025–2027 Capacity Grants for 49 member agencies across Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. This funding will provide the operational capital needed to allow organizations to remain flexible and able to adapt to changing needs.

From faith-based institutions in Delaware County to social service agencies meeting the needs of diverse families across Philadelphia County, the 2025–2027 Philabundance Capacity grantees are among the hundreds of organizations that partner with Philabundance to support the more than 600,000 individuals in our region experiencing food insecurity.

The grantees include

  • Bucks County: Bucks County Opportunity Council; Faith Baptist Church
  • Delaware County: Blessed Virgin Mary; Loaves & Fishes; Prayer Chapel Church of God in Christ
  • Mercer County: Prince of Peace Center
  • Montgomery County: Bethel Community Church; ElderNet of Lower Merion and Narberth; Grace Lutheran Norristown; Love Works Resource Center; Mitzvah Circle; Upper Merion Area Community Cupboard; Patrician Society
  • Philadelphia County: African Family Health Organization; Alexander McClure Elementary School; Bebashi; Bethany Missionary Baptist Church; Breaking Bread on Broad; Bright Hope Baptist Church; Broad Street Love; Brothers of Strawberry Mansion; Calvary Agape Outreach Services; Casa Del Carmen; Cast Your Cares; Christ Apostolic WOSEM; Community Center at Visitation; Episcopal Community Services; The Family Practice & Counseling Network; First Church Worship Center; Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry; Grace Community Christian Center; Kensington Health Sciences Academy; Lutheran Settlement House; Mighty Writers; Mi Salud Wellness; Nationalities Services Center; North Light Community Center; Old Pine Community Center; Open Door Ministries; Our Brothers Place; Paul L Dunbar School; Project H.O.M.E.; Southwest Family Service Center; St. Paul Outreach; Word In Action International Ministries
  • York County: Bethlehem Baptist Church; Mattie Dixon Community Center
  • Southern New Jersey: Puerto Rican Unity for Progress; SisterHood Inc.

Philabundance Capacity Grants help improve each organization’s ability to operate more efficiently and deliver effective food distribution programs and services. To date, $4.4 million dollars in Philabundance Capacity Grants have been allocated for capacity-building infrastructure, such as refrigerators, freezers, refrigerated vans and technology to empower community partners and improve the food distribution network.

“As federal resources continue to shrink and hunger remains a distressing reality in the Greater Philadelphia region, community-based nonprofits are often a lifeline for families in need of healthy food,” said Loree D. Jones Brown, CEO of Philabundance. “Investing directly in our partners and their infrastructure allows us to swiftly and efficiently meet the needs of thousands of our friends and neighbors experiencing food insecurity.”

“Breaking Bread on Broad is [very] grateful for the new refrigerators we will be able to purchase with our Philabundance grant,” said Dan Seltzer, co-leader of Breaking Bread on Broad (BBoB). “Breaking Bread on Broad is the food pantry of Congregation Rodeph Shalom whose mission is to provide our neighbors in need with food, diapers and period supplies each week. With this grant, we will be able to provide our BBoB neighbors with more fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein to better feed their families.”

With this funding, Casa Del Carmen will invest in critical hardware—such as commercial refrigeration, durable shelving, metal prep-table and mini hand pallet jack—that will enhance the efficiency and reliability of our food pantry operations,” said Janet DeJesus, office manager at Casa Del Carmen. “These improvements will allow us to store more fresh and nutritious food, reduce waste, and serve our neighbors more quickly and with greater dignity. By strengthening our infrastructure, we are not only improving daily logistics but also deepening our commitment to food security and community well-being.”

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