In fall 2014 the Food Insecurities Committee formed to help to combat hunger issues on Michigan Tech’s campus. The committee developed what is now known as the Husky Food Access Network (commonly referred to as HuskyFAN). We provide multiple resources for our campus community.
In spring 2018, 1300 students responded to a survey about food insecurities on campus.
- 29 percent of students surveyed worried that they would run out of food before they received money to buy more.
- 26 percent of students surveyed cut the size of meals or skipped meals because they did not have enough money for food.
- 11 percent lost weight because they didn't have enough money for food.
See the full results of our spring 2018 campus survey.
Pantry Eligibility
The pantry is available to anyone! No paperwork or approval is required.
Location
The HuskyFAN Pantry is located on the first floor of Fisher Hall. It is behind the glass wall, across the hall from Fisher 135.
What is available at the pantry
The pantry is stocked with donated items, and grocery orders from Feeding America paid for by donations. We carry a wide variety of items, but always try to have some of each category:
Dry goods
Pasta, rice, beans, lentils
Meal bases
Mac and cheese, soup, cereal, oatmeal
Produce
Fresh produce from the Wads garden is available during the market season
Frozen and canned fruit and vegetables are always available
Protein
Frozen ground beef and fish
Peanut butter, tofu
Canned chicken, salmon, and tuna
Cooking staples
Flour, oil, salt, sugar, baking soda, vinegar
We have cleaning supplies and hygiene products available by donation
What you can expect
We do our best to make your visit confidential. When you arrive at the pantry, you will be greeted by a volunteer, and asked if you prefer to select your items with the front gate up or down (if you’re uncomfortable being visible to Fisher Hall, we can pull the gate down.) You will be told that you are welcome to anything in the pantry, we just would like to remain a resource to as many people as possible, so taking a variety of items is ideal. Once you’ve selected your items from up front, the volunteer will ask you if you’d like to see the fresh and frozen items in the back room. They will then ask you to swipe your Michigan Tech ID, although you don’t need to in order to receive food*. The food you take is weighed before you leave (it cannot be tied back to your visit, we just like to be able to prove our use.) We have bags available if needed. If you have any questions about the process, please email us at huskyfan@mtu.edu.
*We don’t collect any data that ties your name or M number to your visit. We are collecting demographic information (age/gender/class standing) and time of use which we use to help us better serve the community.