The Fuel Pantry provides free food and personal care items to all currently enrolled (full or part time) COD students, staff, and faculty with a self-identified need. We believe access to food is essential to academic success, so we work to address food insecurity on campus. Simply register and stop by once, or every week, to shop. We’re here to help you “make ends meet”!
New Clients
Simply complete the short registration form on our website, or in-person at the pantry, and you’re ready to shop. You’ll only need to complete this form once a year. Please note our commitment to you:
- Income verification is not required.
- Using the pantry does not count as government assistance.
- Your information is for statistical purposes only. It is never shared with anyone, at any time, for any reason.
Returning Clients
Simply stop by the pantry during our hours of operation and shop! You’ll be given “points” to use based on your family size. Fresh produce from our Fuel Garden will also be available, when in season. If you are ever facing an urgent need, and the pantry is closed, please stop by the Office of Student Life (SSC 1217) for assistance or call us at (630) 942-2243.
Hours
Pantry hours vary based on the semester and staffing, so please check our website for the most current information.
Donations
The Fuel Pantry accepts non-perishable foods and toiletries year-round. The most in-demand items are always changing, so please visit our website for the most accurate list. We have convenient donation bins at multiple places around campus, including the cafeteria (SRC Door #7) and just outside the pantry (SRC Door #1). In addition, tax deductible cash donations can be made through the COD Foundation.
Volunteers
The Fuel Pantry welcomes the community, as well as COD students, faculty, and staff to volunteer! Please email us at CODFuelPantry@gmail.com to let us know how you’re interested in helping!
Questions?
If you have any questions, concerns or feedback on the Fuel Pantry, we want to hear from you. Please email us at CODFuelPantry@gmail.com. Thank you!
Our History
Each year the College's Phi Theta Kappa chapter participates in a project known as the "College-Wide Project." For their fall 2015 project the chapter researched the need for a food pantry on campus. They spent the semester meeting with local experts and college administration, conducting surveys of current students and faculty/staff and working with service learning students on the need and feasibility of opening a pantry.
Phi Theta Kappa's research alone found that 100 out of 750 College of DuPage students reported having access to only 1-2 full meals a day, or less than a full meal a day. The chapter felt that this showed food insecurity was definitely an issue that should be addressed at College of DuPage. Phi Theta Kappa wanted to support the campus community members by giving them the brain "fuel" they need to succeed while at the College of DuPage and therefore created the Fuel Pantry.
Food insecurity continues, and has worsened, on campuses across the US. According to a Fall 2019 (pre-pandemic) survey by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, 39% of college students had experienced food insecurity in the past month. With this in mind, the Fuel Pantry works each day to solve the problem of food insecurity at COD.
Other Local Pantries
The following links provide listings for food pantries in DuPage County and the surrounding area. Be aware that some food pantries require you to demonstrate need through income verification, so please call ahead.