Nevada Athletics, in partnership with Pack Provisions – the on-campus food pantry, started the first-ever Pack the Pantry food and hygiene drive on Monday, Feb. 10 with hopes of aiding the pantry’s efforts to give students access to everyday essentials.
“Every student derives from their own experience and background,” Assistant Director of Development of Annual Giving Collin Bernard said in a statement to the Sagebrush. “It should be highly recognized that through personal resilience more than a few Wolf Pack students are first-generation college students. As they create the opportunity to land enrollment and even scholarships, many face the hurdle of tuition and living costs. Food insecurity adds to those ongoing financial struggles.”
Bernard continued, praising the efforts of the University while acknowledging the harsh reality of the world.
“Our university is the greatest in the entire state, if not the United States, at offering a plethora of resources. Pack Provisions is part of this operation and serves as a reminder that the University of Nevada puts our students first within our university ecosystem. However, it is critical to acknowledge even at a top-tier university, hunger exists on campus.”
Pack the Pantry will run from Feb. 10-14 inside Legacy Hall, the athletic department’s main offices. During that time, Nevada Athletics will take donations of things like canned protein (chicken, tuna, etc.), canned soup and hygiene products such as toothbrushes/toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, body soap and laundry detergent. While the department is expecting the majority of its staff to aid its efforts, anyone from the campus community is welcome to make a donation by bringing items to drop off or by donating some money to buy the aforementioned products.
According to Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development and Engagement Suzanne Affeldt, Nevada Athletics’ goal for Pack the Pantry is to collect at least 150 pounds of food and hygiene essentials over the course of the five days. She also stated that she and the rest of the department are eager to measure the efforts of the student athletes and staff under their banner, as well as from the broader campus community.
“We are coming together as ‘One Pack’ to ensure full department participation and will be transparent in sharing our progress,” Affeldt said. “Additionally, we will work closely with our donors and Pack Provisions to generate community support and make this drive as impactful as possible.”
According to Bernard, this project was sparked by student voices regarding the Nevada Fieldhouse Project. He stated that he and his colleagues heard students voice the importance of Pack Provisions throughout the process of getting the student fee put in place to pay for the fieldhouse, prompting conversations as to how Athletics can help the campus community.
“When we had our conversations behind closed doors, this is an area that we wanted to help in,” Bernard said. “You know, we’ve helped in the past, but we want to make this the best ever and something that sets a strong foundation going forward that we can do every year.”
Athletics Director Stephanie Rempe said in a statement to the Sagebrush that the athletics community is excited for the drive.
“Food insecurity is a serious issue for our university community,” Rempe said. “We want to do our part to support those students in need. We look forward to using our platform to increase awareness of Pack Provisions and collect food and supplies.”
As Bernard alluded to, Nevada Athletics wants to make Pack the Pantry an annual event. He stated that he and his team would even open up the possibility of holding the donation drive every semester, on top of their usual pre-game food drives for men’s and women’s basketball games, if things go well.
“That’s also why we are involving our donors as well…,” Bernard said. “…to get them involved and see where this can grow from here. I don’t know if it will be the same date every year, I think keeping things consistent like that is smart. But, going forward, (we want to) continue to get bigger and better than it’s ever been.”
Derek Raridon can be reach via email draridon@sagebrush.unr.edu or via X @thebigcountry14
