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On January 20, �鶹��Ƶ expanded one of its most essential student support services. The Patriot Pantry officially opened a new location at �鶹��Ƶ Square, extending food security resources to a campus that primarily serves graduate and professional students.  

Operated by the Basic Needs Services team at the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC), the pantry provides nonperishable food and hygiene products to students experiencing food insecurity. The service is designed to reduce stigma and remove barriers that can interfere with academic success.

The idea to expand the Patriot Pantry to �鶹��Ƶ Square began with students in Jennifer ������������’s EVPP 480 Sustainability in Action class who noticed a gap in resources for �鶹��Ƶ Square’s predominantly graduate and professional student population.  

Environmental science major Julia Frost, environmental and sustainability studies majors Isabella Barrera and Crystal Park, and business major Noah Brown, mentored by Sklarew, an assistant professor in the All four graduated in 2025.  

With funding from a �鶹��Ƶ Impact Mini Grant awarded by the , the students funded the storage cabinet now used for pantry order pickup. SSAC assumed responsibility for operations, integrating the �鶹��Ƶ Square location into its broader Basic Needs Services model and ensuring the pantry would function as a permanent, low-barrier resource.  

“Food insecurity is a challenge no one should have to face, yet many do,” Barrera said. “Our goal is to help ensure that all students have access to a basic human right: food.” 

The Patriot Pantry at �鶹��Ƶ Square builds on a service with a long history at George �鶹��Ƶ. What began nearly 12 years ago on the Fairfax Campus as a volunteer-led effort became a permanent student service in 2016, housed within SSAC. Since then, pantry usage has increased by 990%.  

The expansion was also supported by funds from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) through the Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry grant program. These funds will be used to stock the Patriot Pantry at �鶹��Ƶ Square with nonperishable food items and essential hygiene products.

Additional support was provided by a $10,000 College Pantry Grant from the Capital Area Food Bank, awarded to SSAC at a time when demand for basic needs support continues to grow.  

Dwayne Hamilton Jr., assistant director for Basic Needs Services, emphasized the pantry’s role in supporting students from diverse economic backgrounds, particularly graduate students who are often overlooked in higher education support services.  

“Addressing basic needs concerns through the Patriot Pantry at �鶹��Ƶ Square moves students toward the ideal experience at George �鶹��Ƶ: freedom and learning,” he said.  

Students can now place orders through the Patriot Pantry at �鶹��Ƶ Square order page and pick up items in the cabinet in the Student Lounge in Van Metre Hall, Room 211—a discreet, accessible location designed to prioritize privacy and dignity.  

Community members may also support the pantry by donating nonperishable food and hygiene products through the , contributing to the , or dropping off donations in the Student Lounge in Van Metre Hall, Room 211. A full list of accepted items is available on the .