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Video transcript
“Tour the new Paw’s Pantry” video onhttps://https://youtu.be/vrirp6f_IEk
[Words appear: IUPUI Presents]
[Michael Stottlemyer speaks: Hey, welcome to Paw’s Pantry. This is our brand-new space. We’ve upgraded to 1,000 square foot facility from 137 square foot. So, let’s go take a look.]
[Words appear: Michael Stottlemyer, Paw’s Pantry chairman, math education senior]
[Stottlemyer speaks: So, we just have our standard shelves that we had in our storage facility area. And we have them all the way around the pantry and we just basically set this up like a giant circular grocery store.
We have a little island here full of items, then items that surround the pantry as well. But sooner or later we will have two refrigerators and two freezers. And as an example here, our freezer is completely full, so we just don’t have any room for any more items.]
[Video: A shot of the Paw’s Pantry cooler.]
[Stottlemyer speaks: So, we’re really working on getting that second freezer, so we can have even more items for our clients to use. As we head out of the pantry here, clients have the options of any household items. We get lots of toiletry items, like hotel, travel-size items. We also have a nice supply of toothbrushes and travel-size toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, and things of that nature.
We do have a nice program. We have 21 shelf sponsors right now. So they are weekly partnerships, and they donate up to 20 items every week or two, and they help keep our pantry sustainable. We’re going into our second year with that program, it’s a huge success so far.
[Video: Bread donations from Panera Bread.]
[Stottlemyer speaks: And then we’ve served around 100 clients just in this opening weeks. The students are taking it well. It’s new excitement, new energy. They’re excited to see this new space. How big it is and just how open and how much food that we can put in just a 1,000 square-foot facility compared to our old facility.]
[Words appear: IUPUI Fulfilling the Promise, iupui.edu]
[End of transcript]
The new Paw’s Pantry debuted this month to much fanfare, with some 200 visits to the IUPUI food pantry in August. It has moved down a floor in the Campus Center, swapping with a locker area.
The seldom-used lockers are now on the second floor of the Campus Center, while Paw’s Pantry is just off of the atrium on the main floor. More foot traffic should help the campus food-insecurity solution be more visible and accessible.
Space upgrade
The new Paw’s Pantry measures about 1,000 square feet. That’s almost 10 times the size of the original location.
More space gives Paw’s Pantry a small grocery store feel, with multiple aisles, a produce area, a toiletry aisle and a frozen food section.
New limit system
With the new space comes a new limit system for Paw’s Pantry use. Most items at Paw’s Pantry are marked with a color-coded sticker based on serving size. Some household and toiletry items are not marked. Each shopper has a limit on the number of items they can get; for example, clients can take five green-stickered items but only two red-stickered products per visit.
Consolidated storage
Thanks to campus generosity and other donations, Paw’s Pantry used to require three separate storage areas in two different buildings – Campus Center and Cavanaugh Hall – to keep its stock organized. The new space allows the storage to be conveniently located in the back of the pantry. It’s much easier now to keep the shelves stocked.
Paw’s Pantry hours
The pantry is open to the IUPUI community from noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays. Students-only hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Paw’s Closet
Similar to Paw’s Pantry, Paw’s Closet will feature donated clothing items, including everyday attire as well as business garb for students on job interviews. The grand-opening celebration for this space is at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 3 in Cavanaugh Hall, in the second-floor lobby and Room 117.