UW Food Share Pantry

The UW Food Share Pantry is an on-campus organization dedicated to making sure that every Poke is nourished. We are a free resource to all students, staff, and faculty. We provide a variety of fresh and non-perishable foods, personal hygiene products, household products, and diapers and baby products to UW Community members. When an individual comes into the pantry, our goal is to provide them with food and personal items to support them as they pursue their education and career.

Hours of Operation

Academic Year 2023-2024

Location

Knight Hall, Room 106

How it Works

We are proud to offer our UW community a grocery store style pantry model. That means that when you walk in, you are able to choose what items you want and what items you don't, based on what we have available. You will notice that we often have some staple products each time you come in, but some items you may only find occasionally. What we have to give out is based entirely on donations, whether monetary or in-kind, so we cannot guarantee that we will have any particular food or personal item available. Our stock is always changing!

When you come in, you can either grab a reusable bag or use your own. We ask that you bring your reusable bag back each time you visit us. We have plastic bags available too.

Simply stroll through, pick out the items you want, and place them in your bag. There are suggested limits on some items, and we kindly ask that you only take one bag each time you come in. Please keep in mind that this is a resource for all students, staff, and faculty, so share what you can and take what you need.

When you're done, just weigh your items and record that number along with your W Number. And that's it! We want our pantry to be as accessible as possible to those who need us, and our staff are always willing to help with any questions you might have.

You can come in each day we're open, up to one time per day.

Contributing to the Pantry

There are many ways to support the UW Food Share Pantry. Check out these frequently asked questions to learn more.

While any donation is appreciated, these are some of the items most requested:

Food Items

Fresh produce
Dry beans and lentils
Rice
Pasta
Bread
Cereal
Individually portioned snacks (granola bars, crackers, trail mix, etc.)
Individually portioned juices
Canned or packaged meals (soups, chili, oatmeal, mac 'n' cheese, etc.)
Canned meat, poultry, and fish
Canned tomato products
Frozen fruit
Shelf-stable, non-dairy beverages (almond milk, soy milk, etc.)
Baking mixes
Cooking oil
Condiments
Herbs and spices

Household Items

Laundry detergent
Dish soap
Paper towels

Hygiene Items

Toiletries (soap, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.)
Chapstick
Menstrual pads

Baby Items

Diapers
Baby wipes
Baby food
Formula

Share any non-perishable food items or personal care products at one of our drop off locations - in the Wyoming Union across from the Information Desk or outside the Dean of Students Office (Knight Hall Room 128). Contributions (including perishable, refrigerated, and frozen foods) can also be made in the pantry during our hours of operations. For special donation coordination requests, reach out to us at uwfsp@uwyo.edu or call 307-766-4022.

Unfortunately, we cannot give out any items that have gone past the date on their packaging. Any items we receive that are past their "best-by" date go to other hunger relief organizations in town that can accept these items, namely Laramie Interfaith and the Laramie Soup Kitchen.

Due to safety precautions, we can only accept prepared foods made in licensed, commercial kitchens. We cannot accept homemade foods.

Not necessarily. We gladly welcome groups and organizations to host donation drives on our behalf, and if you would like us to be involved in your event in any way, or if you are using our logo in any marketing materials, please reach out to us at uwfsp@uwyo.edu or by calling 307-766-4022. You can also contact us if you need to coordinate a delivery of donations from your event. Otherwise, you can donate items as described in the "How do I donate items?" drop-down.

We have put together an "RSO Food Drive Guide" specifically for organizations on campus wanting to host a food drive or other type of donation drive/event.

Absolutely! You can make an online financial contribution anytime to the UW Food Security Discretionary Fund. The funds raised will help us continue to purchase perishable items, including fruit, vegetables, dairy, eggs, cheese, etc. These fresh foods are essential to our goals of providing healthy food options and nourishing the members of our campus community. In addition, these funds help in supporting our other food security efforts across campus, including departmental food share cabinets, the Meal-Swipe Sharing program, good food recovery, and ACRES Student Farm.

You can also bring cash or check donations to the Dean of Students Office, located in Knight Hall, room 128. Checks can be made out to "UW Food Security." You can also mail checks to:

UW Food Share Pantry

1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3135

Laramie, WY 82071

Mailing cash is not advised.

Volunteer opportunities for the pantry are posted on Volunteer Hub. We typically have on-going volunteer opportunities, whether it's stocking shelves, packing food bags, light cleaning, or the like. You can also inquire by calling the pantry at 307-766-4022 or emailing uwfsp@uwyo.edu.

Two students stocking food pantry shelves

Donate to UW Food Security

Additional Food and Hygiene Resources

Looking for additional resources to meet your nutrition and hygiene needs? Whether you are single, have children, or are pregnant or nursing, the Laramie Community has some wonderful organizations that can help you meet your basic needs. All of the resources listed below are available at no cost, though some you must qualify for based on income and other factors.