Exciting News: Campus Food Pantry Moves to Kellogg Hall for Enhanced Accessibility!

On January 23, the Dartmouth Student Government met with Dartmouth Dining to talk about the campus food pantry’s recent move. The pantry, which provides refrigerated and non-perishable food, has shifted from the basement of Dick’s House to Kellogg Hall in the Geisel School of Medicine. This change happened in December due to a fire safety issue, which the College learned about in September, according to senator JJ Dega ’26.

Jon Plodzik, the director of Dartmouth Dining, explained that the pantry was previously located in a stairwell meant for emergencies. This location was not safe, hence the necessary relocation.

The pantry was started in 2018 by Dominique Walton after a graduate student shared their struggle with food insecurity. Initially, it was stocked mainly through staff donations. Since fall 2020, with efforts from former DSG president David Millman, the pantry has received $10,000 in goods from the student government.

This academic year, Dartmouth Dining has taken over funding the pantry as part of its food insecurity initiative led by campus leaders. Dega emphasized that the pantry is designed for all students on campus, not just those facing food shortages. “It’s for anyone who wants to use it,” he said.

However, some students expressed concerns over the lack of communication regarding the pantry’s relocation. For instance, Lily Easter ’25 discovered its new location by chance while overhearing a conversation. “Nobody had known that it had been moved,” she noted.

First-Generation Office director Alejandra Carrasco Alayo ’25 also felt the move wasn’t well advertised. “I had no idea about it,” she said. Harmony Wilson ’28 added that she struggled to find Kellogg Hall when she wanted to access the pantry. She remarked, “When I was told where [Kellogg Hall] was, I didn’t know where it was.”

Easter highlighted that the new location is less accessible than Dick’s House because students were familiar with the old site. “We had to follow Google Maps and trek through the snow,” she shared, showing the added difficulty in locating the new pantry.

To improve access, Carrasco Alayo suggested moving the pantry to a more central campus spot, such as House Center B or the basement of Baker-Berry Library. This would help students who quickly need ingredients, especially in winter.

Initially, Dartmouth Dining had planned to place the pantry in the ROTC meeting room at Leverone Field House. However, Kellogg Hall was chosen to better guarantee accessibility and meet renovation needs.

Easter pointed out that the pantry is a vital resource for students who want to cook but worry about food costs. The Co-Op Food Store can be pricey, and the pantry offers an excellent alternative for ingredients. “The food pantry offers a good source of food where students don’t have to worry about affording what they want to cook,” she explained.

Upon her first visit, Easter was pleased to find the pantry well-stocked with a variety of items, not just canned goods. “There was a fridge section, a freezer section, dry goods, and fresh produce,” she remarked. “It’s great to see such a wide selection.”

Dega mentioned that both the student government and Dartmouth Dining are working hard to communicate the pantry’s new location to students. The pantry is replenished daily by a dining manager and a student worker and is open 24/7 for students with a Dartmouth ID.