February 25, 2025
For graduate assistant Kaitlyn Richards—a natural resources sciences master’s student—the Husker Pantry is more than a space dedicated to addressing food and hygiene insecurities across campus. It is a welcoming space for all Huskers that is filled with people aiming to make the world a better place. Learn more about the Husker Pantry and Kaitlyn’s involvement through a behind-the-scenes lens.
You work with Husker Pantry, a space addressing students’ food insecurities in a friendly and welcoming way. What does this role entail?
Working with the Husker Pantry allows me to be a jack of all trades. It involves teamwork with Kenji Madison (who directs the Husker Pantry), Valeriia Gabibova (a graduate assistant), community and university partners and a growing team of over 60 amazing volunteers. With the Husker Pantry, it is crucial to create a community of passionate people, and this is done through working with partnerships and volunteer recruitment. With food insecurity and hygiene poverty being a pressing issue amongst college campuses, social media and marketing are another task to manage. This allows us to reach more students and break down stigmas related to having basic needs. Of course, running the pantry involves organizing schedules, working directly with students, managing inventory and building up an inclusive culture of helping out fellow Huskers. The role of being a Husker Pantry GA is not always consistent because we need to adapt to the needs of students.
Can you describe the impact and importance of the Husker Pantry? How does this initiative help Nebraska students?
The Husker Pantry is a one-stop shop for all students, staff and faculty facing food and hygiene insecurity. We provide a space to which the campus community can turn to without judgment. College is already challenging, especially for students who face academic, financial and other challenges. Providing a judgment-free space that provides critical resources helps students in more ways than one. Food insecurity impacts social, academic, economic and financial well-being. The pantry providing the resources we do for students takes one stressor off of a college student’s plates. Food fuels us, not only physically but mentally. When students have access to nutritious food, they perform better academically and have a lowered risk of long-term health issues such as malnutrition and obesity. Much of the literature on the topic of food insecurity amongst college students tells us that about 1 in 3 students face food insecurity. This was also proven in a 2015 survey on campus. It is important to realize that this issue is heavily stigmatized, and this number may actually be higher.
Tell us about the history of the Husker Pantry, and why you feel passionate about the work this initiative is doing.
After seeing the high demand of basic needs at UNL, leaders on campus banded together to create the Husker Pantry. The Husker Pantry has seen many changes since its creation in 2017, modifying ways of ordering and marketing to more students.
I am passionate about the work of the pantry because of my humble upbringing. My earliest memory of food insecurity was enjoying elementary lunches with a friend who received free and reduced-price lunches. She had a different lunch from everyone else, and I wondered why the school couldn’t provide her with the same meal as everyone else. Much like most food-insecure people, she could not control her circumstances. Another memory was bringing canned goods to school after hurricanes hit the coast. Knowing that there are so many experiences that lead to food insecurity, I wanted to be a part of the solution. It shouldn’t have to take a tragedy for communities to support each other. The pantry has been a consistent resource to support our campus. No matter what experiences lead people to use the pantry, we welcome them with open arms.
How did you become involved with the Pantry?
Going into college, I knew I wanted to volunteer with an organization. I volunteered with the pantry throughout my undergraduate career. I loved working with fellow passionate students. When I found out that I could continue working with the pantry as a graduate assistant, I immediately talked to Kenji.
I also found intersections between food rights and the environment. Working with the pantry helped me draw connections between my major and an issue I was passionate about.
How can students get involved in Husker Pantry and give back to their community, and more specifically, their Husker peers?
Being a college student is busy! There are many ways for students to build community with the Husker Pantry. Students can volunteer with the Husker Pantry; most volunteer weekly for about an hour. For students with less time to volunteer in person, they can get involved with our mission by sharing the resource with their student groups, reposting information on social media and donating to the bins around campus. Many students, including my undergraduate self, who have meal plans can use their remaining weekly swipes to purchase goods in the Herbie’s Markets such as canned goods and donate them. Students interested in volunteering can email Husker Pantry directly or fill out the form in our Instagram bio!
No matter what experiences lead people to use the pantry, we welcome them with open arms.
What advice would you give students who are hesitant to reach out for help or utilize campus resources?
I wish I had a microphone that would reach every student on campus at once. If I did, I would tell them “It is okay to have needs, and it is okay to connect with resources to fulfill those needs.” I have been in college for almost four years now and I have used so many resources. Connecting with a new resource is scary, even for me who has used almost every resource on campus at least once. Knowing that every person working in that resource center cares about uplifting those using it helps break some of the fear. Especially with the pantry, everyone has a reason for being involved. Nobody is there to make money, or to incite fear for users; everyone is there to make a difference. Stigma prevents people from getting the help they need; we want to break that stigma!
Can you explain the value of paying it forward or volunteering? How would you encourage the campus community to give back?
Everyone everywhere has needs! Finding a need in your community that resonates with you is a great way to start paying it forward. If you are passionate about food security, start getting involved there. Animal welfare, social issues, the environment, whatever your jam is…there are ways to get involved. Through volunteering, you will find intersections between your goals and what you are doing that you may not have noticed before. If everyone made the world 1% better every time they volunteered and paid it forward, imagine how beautiful the world would be.
Everyone has a story; being a changemaker in someone’s is so rewarding.
Is there anything people may not know, but would be interested to know about the Husker Pantry?
Speaking for myself, I love it when the users of the pantry talk to me outside of the context of the pantry. Telling me about everyday things such as the weather or their programs is such a great way to build community and break the stigma surrounding food and hygiene insecurity. The basic needs provided by the pantry are everyday things, and we should be talking about everyday things when we connect at the door. I have seen students’ hands shaking giving me their NCards at the door; there is no shame in using the service. Our connection is not limited to pantry pickup but instead building community and uplifting others. I have gotten the best fashion advice of my life from students just stopping by. We are so much more than just this one interaction.
Do you have any favorite memories that stand out during your time at Husker Pantry?
My favorite memories are the conversations at the door with students and talking to the different departments on campus who donated to us. I also love seeing the joy in people’s faces when they discover the pantry as a resource. The joy in knowing that they are not alone is unmatched.