UMass Amherst, Amherst Survival Center Launch On-campus Food Pantry for University Community

One in three college students faces food insecurity nationally

The University of Massachusetts Amherst, in partnership with the Amherst Survival Center today, National Food Bank Day, celebrated the establishment of a permanent, on-campus food pantry with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. Nationally, one in three college students face food insecurity and more than 200 college campuses across the country have food pantries. As a community, UMass Amherst believes no one, particularly on campus, should go hungry.

Image

Image

The Campus Pantry: Amherst Survival Center at UMass, located in the lower level of 472 N. Pleasant St. in Amherst, the former location of the Newman Catholic Center, will open Saturday, Sept. 6. It will offer a full-choice, self-guided shopping experience for all members of the campus community who need it. Participants will be able to shop weekly, selecting the items that work best for them, up to a maximum of roughly 10 days of food for their household. 

The pantry will be staffed, managed and operated by the Amherst Survival Center.

“Food insecurity among college students is a national phenomenon that, sadly, some

John and Elizabeth Armstrong Commit $4 Million for Research Support at UMass Amherst

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has accepted gifts and commitments totaling $4 million from longtime supporters John and Elizabeth Armstrong to advance the university’s research enterprise. The gifts establish the UMass Amherst Research Continuity Fund, the Armstrong Graduate Research Grant Fund and the Armstrong Chancellor Professorships Award Fund, all of which will underwrite research contributions across a broad range of disciplines at UMass Amherst.

Image

Elizabeth and John Armstrong

“As a public, land-grant university, UMass Amherst has a duty to support research that will benefit our local communities, the commonwealth and the world,” said Chancellor Javier A. Reyes. “The Armstrongs’ commitments will enable us to build a stronger foundation for this work and reinforce the university’s mission to educate, innovate and produce new knowledge that serves the common good.”

“At a time of great uncertainty about federal funding for research, the Armstrongs are