Welcome!
We provide food to students, staff, and faculty who may be experiencing short-term food insecurity. It could be the result of a short-term disruption in finances, a food desert in the local community, or a lack of access to other financial assistance.
If you are making a choice between the food you need for a healthy life and other pressing priorities, we are here to relieve some of the stress of that experience.
How do I get food?
Visitors are welcome to shop in person once per week and receive 2-3 days’ worth of food. We provide shelf stable products, UW Farm organic produce, ready-to-eat items from campus dining locations, and hygiene products at no cost to visitors. Our offerings vary based on donations and the time of year.
Some tips for first time visitors
- Bring your Husky ID card
- Bring your own bag! The UW Food Pantry does not provide bags
- Be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes during peak times
Thank you for your patience as we work to get food to you.
Where can I find you?
Poplar Hall, 210
1311 NE 41st St.
Enter through the north side of the building at Brooklyn and 41st.
Autumn Quarter 2024
Mondays: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Tuesdays: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Wednesdays: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Thursdays: 12:30PM – 5:00PM
Fridays: Closed
Please note: Check the UW Food Pantry Instagram account for unanticipated closures that deviate from posted operating hours. On occasion things come up and we are not always able to fully staff the pantry as needed to remain open.
If you ever need food when we are closed or you need something we don’t provide, please visit our community partner, the University District Food Bank.
Food drives and donations
What does the pantry need?
You can view our Amazon wish list here.
The UW Food Pantry is currently in need of the following:
- Canned vegetables
- Canned fruit
- Stocks, broths, bases, and sauces of all kinds
- Food appropriate for diverse diets, including halal, kosher, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, etc.
- Canned tomatoes
- Pasta sauce
- Cooking oils
- Canned soup
- Oatmeal and granola
- Boxed milk, evaporated milk, and unsweetened alternative milks
- Fruit preserves and spreads
- Chili
- Boxed mac + cheese, other ready-to-eat meals
- Feminine hygiene products
- Jars of baby food
- Household Item (e.g. bar soap, toilet paper, paper towels)
How can I donate food as an individual?
We accept donations of shelf stable items and hygiene products from individuals at our Poplar Hall location during our opening hours. We accept shelf stable sealed food that has expired up to 3 months from the current date. We currently cannot accept items that need to be refrigerated, frozen or have been previously opened.
How do I host a food drive?
You are welcome to host a food drive at any time and we have created this resource page to help you do so. If you would like support from staff at the UW Food Pantry or access to food drive bins, assistance with transportation, and co-promotion of your efforts please fill out this interest form.
For food drives supported by the Pantry staff you can anticipate food bins to be dropped off on Friday and picked up on a following Friday 1 or 2 weeks away based on your preference. If you are hosting a 1 day drive we will do our best to work with you to arrange logistical support but may need to work within our normal Friday transportation schedule.
What makes a food drive successful?
The most successful food drives have a short window of 1-2 weeks that creates a sense of urgency to donate or are part of a single event like a party, lecture, or movie screening.
Creating a drive that targets a few products or types of products can be really helpful as well.
Food Expiration Guidelines
The Pantry follows food recovery and expiration guidelines to ensure safety of the food provided to students, faculty and staff.
Volunteer with us!
Who can volunteer?
Currently the UW volunteer opportunities are available to UW students, staff, faculty, and retirees.
What are the different volunteer roles?
The UW Food Pantry relies on the support of students, staff, faculty, and other community members to keep the doors open and food on the shelves. Volunteers are needed both during our open shopping hours and outside of them as part of our Gleaning Team. We have volunteer opportunities available to:
- welcome and check visitors in and out
- sort food drive donations and deliveries, and stock shelves
- load, transport, and unload food drive donations from around campus,
- collect, transport, and unload fresh food items gleaned from UW dining locations
- work at the UW Farm to prepare and transport fresh produce for the Pantry
- table and outreach at campus events to promote the Pantry
How do I sign up?
Please fill out this form if you are interested in volunteering for. We currently do not have group volunteer opportunities.
Contact the staff
Rachael Carter, UW Pantry Student Director, provides leadership for UW Food Pantry operations and serves as a liaison to campus and community partners. uwpantry@uw.edu
Angelina Durbin, Food Recovery Coordinator, provides supervision to gleaning efforts to recapture pre-packaged food from UW Dining that otherwise would go to waste. glean@uw.edu
Jenny Stoneking, Food Drive Coordinator, provides leadership and coordination to food drives across UW. givefood@uw.edu
Maggie O’Brien, Social Media Coordinator & Shift Lead. uwpantrysocial@uw.edu
Joy Jung, Nutrition Education Coordinator & Shift Lead. uwpantryeducation@uw.edu
Where can I find resources on campus?
Access food
For resources related to food insecurity, please check out our Get Food page.
Mental health
In response to the rising prevalence of mental health concerns among students, Student Life has led a multi-year collaborative effort to increase access to timely help and critical resources through a single, streamlined online student wellness portal.
Husky Health & Well-Being connects the work of the Counseling Center, Hall Health, LiveWell, Resilience Lab, SafeCampus, UW Recreation, and more, and has been student-fueled from the start.
Where can I find nearby resources?
The U-District Food Bank accepts all individuals with a Husky ID and offers a wide selection of food that we may not have in stock. Their address is 5017 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105 and has the following hours for their walk-in food bank:
Monday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wednesday Closed
Thursday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Please find more information about what they offer on their website.
Pantry Affiliations
The Food Pantry is a member of the following organizations:
