St. Davids, PA: Eastern University is grateful to have received the PA Hunger-Free Campus grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education again for the 2024-2025 grant cycle. The award totals $59,650—up from $39,618 last year—and will support the efforts of the Student Government Association’s Eagles Essentials Food & Hygiene Pantry here on campus.
“As our enrollment grows, so does our need for additional support for students on campus. Eagles Essentials is using this grant money to step up to the plate and address food insecurity head-on by doing everything in its power to reach and provide supplies for our students. We are incredibly grateful for our ability to continue expanding this important initiative this upcoming academic year.”
The pantry was created to fight food insecurity and ensure that all students’ basic needs are being met. With last year’s funding, it expanded its sites to reach more students across Eastern’s St. Davids campus. The funding was also used to purchase refrigeration, add additional shelving space, and provide a wider variety of food products for students with specific dietary needs. Additionally, thanks to the grant funding, six feminine hygiene dispensers are being added across campus this year.
"Eagle's Essentials is blessed to have received this funding,” says Sarah Westmoreland, President of the Student Government Association. “As Student Government President and the Student Manager of Eagles Essentials, I am proud of how far this program has come within one year and look forward to visiting the future Eagles Essentials as an alumni."
With this year’s funding, Eagles Essentials hopes to create an automated inventory process for the pantry, hire student workers to maintain the pantries, purchase 21-swipe meal plans for three students per semester during the grant term, and provide food packages to at least 175 students who remain in residential housing over breaks during the 2024-2025 grant period.
“We're grateful to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for their strong investment in Eastern's Eagles Essentials Program. This funding allows us to provide our students with the critical basic resources they need.”
For more information on the pantry, check out the Eagles Essentials Webpage or follow them on Instagram: @eagles.essentials.
About Eastern University
Eastern University is a Christian university enrolling approximately 8,700 students in its undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs. The university’s main campus is located in St. Davids, PA, with many programs available online. Eastern’s core values of faith, reason, and justice are woven into all of its educational programs. For more information visit eastern.edu or contact Ally Rosario, Director of Marketing & Communications: ally.rosario@eastern.edu.