The UWM Food Center and Pantry is critically low on funds while facing unprecedented demand. Donors have already generously stepped up, but the need remains great. Please consider donating.
Chancellor Thomas Gibson is offering a challenge to UWM faculty and staff: Raise a total of $1,000 by the end of this week, and he will match with a $1,000 gift. “The UWM community always stands ready to help each other, and this is a time of great need for students. Please consider donating if you are able,” Gibson said.
Visits to the UWM food pantry rose more than 41% from September to October, as the federal government shutdown cut paychecks and certain government benefits. And demand is expected to spike in the coming days as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are interrupted.
The food pantry was already seeing increased demand in the past few years. Food pantry visits rose from 7,700 in 2022-23 to 11,400 in 2024-25, which is a 48% increase.
Some 52% of UWM students reported some form of food insecurity in 2024, and 34% of food pantry users said in a survey that access to the food donations helped them stay enrolled in school.
A tax-deductible donation to the UWM Foundation in support of the UWM Food Center & Pantry can be made online.
Students who use the food pantry say it has been a great resource. One said:
“The food pantry means the world to me. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to afford college. Knowing the pantry is here helps me deal with the rising cost of food. The pantry is a great way to supplement my groceries and make my money last. It’s comforting to know that I won’t have to go without a meal.”
Several TV news stations reported on the food pantry on Friday, providing compelling testimony about the need for donations. A few students spoke to reporters, telling them how important the pantry is for them. That included one student who told TMJ4 that donations to the food pantry are meaningful: “It means that the campus cares, it’s proof that the campus cares.”
Here are the news stories:
