The Collegio Pittsburg's student voice since 1916
When some students come to college, their money is focused towards tuition and classes. The Gorilla Pantry is here to help provide for the rest.
Gorilla Pantry is located in The Overman Student Senter next to Campus Activities Center. They stock a wide range of supplies from non-perishable food items like pasta, canned goods, cereal, and baby items such as diapers. They also carry many toiletries.
It’s free for all students, and people are able to take as much as they want.
“It’s a place for all students to go and get those resources if they aren’t able to spend that money,” said junior and president of the residents hall assembly Amaya Harris.
Though RHA doesn’t run the pantry, they donate money and supplies to it as a philanthropy.
Anyone can donate to the pantry, and interested parties can donate supplies or cash. They get most of their supplies from those donations or from different organizations on campus.
It is super easy whenever someone needs to use the pantry. Anyone with a PSU ID can come into the CAC and ask to go in, or, you can find senior Meredith Bierbaum sitting outside for about 20 hours a week. Students then sign in with their name and PSU ID number and are allowed in.
Both Bierbaum and Harris think it is very beneficial to students especially during these hard times with COVID.
“Crawford County is one of the poorest counties in Kansas, so I think there is a need for it here..,” said Bierbaum. “It is a great place to take that financial burden off of students.”
Gorilla Pantry got started in 2014 as a class project by two students and from there, it has turned into what it is today.
The pantry doesn’t just take donations from staff and organizations. They also take donations from the community, via boxes around campus, such as at the Axe Library. Gorilla Pantry has also applied for a grant through the state of Kansas to help buy more items.
RHA is one of their big suppliers, and they have fundraisers every year to help donate money and those needed supplies.
“We will continue to use it (Gorilla Pantry) as our philanthropy, as we have two fundraisers, one in the fall and one in the spring, and are excited to donate and impact more students,” Harris said.
Gorilla Pantry has an Amazon wishlist, and interested parties can go to the CAC for more information on how to donate.