The lines were so long Mohammad Alam knew something needed to change to better serve students. So the operations manager of SHOP, the student-run pantry in Beyer Hall, went to work.
"When I started here, there'd be a very long line of students, nearly 100, on Wednesdays [when new food shipments become available] waiting two or more hours for us to open," he said. "We focused on some changes to make it fairer for everyone and so students don’t have to worry about certain items not being on the shelves."
SHOP, which receives most of its funding from student government, continues to see significant need among students, with about 1,800 visitors in February. Alam instituted limits on some items -- for example, milk and eggs -- so more students have access to them. A certain quantity of the items are restocked hourly to provide equal access to all students regardless of their schedule. Alam also adjusted biweekly ordering from the Food Bank of Iowa and Fareway Stores to emphasize staple goods -- milk, eggs, bread, a protein and fruit.
The goal is to assure students these staple items will be available each week, said SHOP advisor Breanna Wetzler. Ordering is structured so the same quantity of food is available Monday through Wednesday when SHOP Is open. There also is an emphasis on stocking healthy food options and meeting special dietary needs when possible.
SHOP recently expanded -- one of 19 strategic plan projects to receive funding for fiscal year 2024 -- to an adjoining room to create more shelf and storage space. Nearly all food is on shelves or in refrigerators and freezers in the new space while the original area is used for checkout, bagging and storage.
Student survey
Student wellness staff developed a basic needs survey that will be emailed to a representative sample of the student body before the end of the semester. Survey questions were crafted to gain information about Iowa State students, something that was more difficult using national surveys. New programs to support student needs will be developed using the results, said Austin Cook, student wellness food security and basic needs specialist.
"It will give us an idea of what the needs are that students are having, including information on food security," Cook said. "We also ask about housing and other topics that will help us decide where we funnel our energy to meet the need."
A role for faculty and staff
Wetzler said faculty and staff can help by making sure students are aware of SHOP and its focus on serving students.
"It can be a challenge to reach nearly 30,000 students, so if our faculty and staff can share information with them or include information in their syllabus, it helps," she said.
Faculty and staff can contribute to SHOP (1306 Beyer) in several other ways:
- Donate clean plastic bags
- Donate empty egg cartons (cut in half to make six-egg containers)
- Donate food and toiletry items
- Donate financially through the ISU Foundation
- Volunteer during university breaks
