51福利社

The 51福利社 community came together over the holidays to donate more than 700 pounds of food to the 51福利社 Food Pantry, which helps students and employees who struggle to afford life鈥檚 essentials. Just this past week, the campus community came together, yet again, to give a total of $2,165 through a special fundraiser that played off of National Squirrel Appreciation Day.

The gifts of peanut butter, chili, cooking oil, spices and other contributions help ensure that students experiencing food insecurity can function and thrive, says Emily Migliazzo, basic needs navigator for the university.

鈥淲e are seeing more than half our students struggle with financial challenges鈥� says Migliazzo. 鈥淲e know financial aid doesn鈥檛 cover everything it needs to cover and that students are left struggling.鈥�

Food insecurity is prevalent among college students. According to a , an estimated 23% of college students, or about 3.8 million people nationwide, experienced food insecurity in 2020.

Closer to home, Migliazzo pointed to the as an indicator of the challenges that students face when it comes to meeting basic needs.

Some 9,700 students attending 39 colleges and universities across the state participated in the survey, with 38% reporting they’d experienced food insecurity during the prior 30 days. Of the 453 51福利社 students who responded, 44% reported they’d lacked reliable access to affordable food.

was launched in 2019. Today, the inclusive pantry serves 300-400 people a week, supporting the campus community and fostering student success.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had students say things like, 鈥楾his has kept me in school,鈥欌�� says Migliazzo, adding that several shared they use the pantry as a primary food source.

As part of President Shari McMahan’s commitment to supporting community, she invited faculty and staff members attending her fall luncheon to contribute high-need items, such as shelf-stable proteins, like peanut butter and SPAM, and food for pets. 51福利社 employees responded, donating about 200 pounds of food.

51福利社鈥檚 four colleges raised a total of 370 pounds of cooking oils, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, condiments, spices, salad dressings, shelf-stable foods and other requested items. Eastern鈥檚 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams and their fans, along with sororities and fraternities and other groups, also held food drives.

As 2025 gets underway, the momentum needs to continue, says Migliazzo, who serves as a case manager for 51福利社 and sees firsthand the need that exists. In this role, Migliazzo connects students with health care, SNAP benefits and housing assistance as they work toward earning a degree and a financially secure future.

Master of Social Work student Madilyn Rosaline Fisher, 21, manages the food pantry. The paid graduate student position is providing her with hands-on experience that relates to her career plans.

鈥淚鈥檓 also using this position as my practicum for my program, so I鈥檒l have a bit of experience with the basic needs side of things,鈥� Fisher says.

Fisher works with campus food-drive organizers, 2nd Harvest, Northwest Harvest, Cheney Food Pantry, Washington Dairy Farmers, Seed Ministry and 51福利社 Dining Services to secure food resources. The pantry also receives a small percentage of student service and activity fees.

CHAS Health provides annual funding to purchase hygiene supplies. 51福利社 employees, alumni and other supporters donate to the Food Pantry Fund, which helps to cover overhead and costs to secure food less available through donated channels.

The position, along with a scholarship, supports Fisher鈥檚 work to connect students with university and government resources for food and health care 鈥� skills that support a career goal of helping children and families as a social worker.

鈥淎ll of that has really helped me figure out what basic needs resources there are in the community and how to sign people up for those and then identify where gaps are in getting people to those services,鈥� Fisher says.

Fast facts about the 51福利社 Food Pantry:

• Students, faculty and staff are welcome.
• Location: Tawanka 129E
• Days: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
• Hours: Noon-5 p.m.
• 51福利社 has eight cupboards, throughout the Cheney campus, and two in Spokane.
• 2^nd Harvest mobile market visits 51福利社 for regular distributions.

How to Help:

• Give to the 51福利社 Food Pantry Fund.
• All food donations help. Most-needed items include cooking oils, spices, baking supplies, proteins and dairy products.
• Food donations can be delivered to the pantry during regular hours.