Big Blue Pantry Offers 'Grab 'N Go' Location in Kentucky Clinic
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 5, 2020) — The University of Kentucky Big Blue Pantry has opened its first location within the UK medical center, providing quick, on-the-go goods to students with food insecurity in this major area of campus.
The new "Grab 'N Go" station, based in the Kentucky Clinic's Center for Graduate and Professional Diversity Initiatives (CGPDI) office, will offer patrons a pre-packed bag of staple pantry items, such as canned soups, beans, veggies, oatmeal, rice and pasta. The CGPDI office is located in suite 307A of the clinic.
Patrons whose needs are unmet by these pre-packed bags may still visit the pantry's primary location in 025 Whitehall Classroom Building on the main campus.
“This new option was originally envisioned by students as another way to make the food in the pantry accessible to students across campus," said Grace Hahn, director of UK Student Organizations and Activities. "Their hope was to increase accessibility and allow students who take classes or work on the health care side of campus to access this resource.”
The Big Blue Pantry serves UK students who are experiencing food insecurity or hunger. Any UK student with a valid UK ID is eligible to receive non-perishable goods.
The Kroger Company recently became an official partner of the Big Blue Pantry and has invested greatly in the program. In addition to providing food donations, Kroger has updated the physical space with new shelving and décor, and donated both refrigerator and freezer units, as well as office furniture and storage. These changes enable the pantry to better serve students as well as foster a more welcoming environment.
To make a donation to the Big Blue Pantry Gift Fund or to learn more, visit www.ukcco.org/programs/bigbluepantry or contact bigbluepantry@gmail.com.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.