Ram Pantry

Research reveals that more than one-third of VCU’s students are food-insecure. That means one in three students may not have nutritious food to eat or even know where to find their next meal. 

You can help.

When you make a gift to Ram Pantry, you feed students who rely on this valuable resource for the food they need to maintain their physical and mental health.

You help students thrive in school and beyond.

Ram Pantry opened 10 years ago, and, since then, visits have surged. During the 2023-24 school year, they served 765 students, a 40% increase from the previous year. Last year, Ram Pantry, part of the new Office of Student Advocacy, moved to a larger space on W. Grace Street to meet that growing need. 

In 2022, John Jones, Ph.D., an assistant professor of life sciences, placed 13 Little Ram Pantries at various locations around VCU’s Monroe Park and MCV campuses. The goal? Make it easier for students to quickly grab something to eat after class or when they need it most. In the first year, students accessed more than 900 pounds of food, and that number continues to grow.

Ram Pantry not only feeds students in need, but it also helps students gain real-world experience. A team of Federal Work Study student employees oversee operations; they order and manage inventory and host food drives with campus and community partners. In addition, Da Vinci Center students helped design the Little Ram Pantries, and engineering students developed sensors that help staff know how often the pantries are used and when they need to be refilled.

Your gift to Ram Pantry supports students in many ways.

In response to student requests for more produce, Jones and his team are about to launch Ram Fridges, inspired by RVA Community Fridges, to provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables. The team is working with local urban farmers to procure produce.  

Ram Pantry needs your monetary support to continue these initiatives. Through its affiliation with FeedMore, the regional food bank for central Virginia, Ram Pantry can purchase a lot more food for a lot less than it would cost at a grocery store. That means your financial donation reaches further than a donation of canned goods does. 

A gift of just $1 can buy 2.5 pounds of food. A gift of $100 can feed 5 students for a week. 

Please consider supporting Ram Pantry. Your gift of any amount can make a big difference in the lives of VCU’s students. 

Donations are deductible to the fullest extent of the law.