SEEDS

Division Of Student Life

Reed Community Pantry

The Reed Community Pantry (RCP) is part of Reed College’s Basic Needs Initiative. The RCP provides nonperishable food items, toiletries, hygiene products, and more at no cost to members of the Reed community. This resource is open to Reed students, faculty, and staff.

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Location & Hours

Location

Gray Campus Center (GCC) Lower Level Room 042

Spring 2023 Hours

  • Mondays: 11am - 1pm, 3pm - 5pm
  • Tuesdays: 12pm - 2pm, 5pm - 7pm
  • Wednesdays: 12pm - 2pm, 5pm - 7pm
  • Thursdays: 11am -1pm, 3pm - 5pm
  • Fridays: CLOSED
  • Saturdays: 12pm - 2pm
  • Sunday: CLOSED

*Hours adjust every semester and during breaks.  The RCP will close when the campus is closed. Opening hours are subject to change due to volunteer availability or any unforeseen circumstances. Visit SEEDS's Instagram for updates or email communitypantry@reed.edu.

*Special Note on Ramadan & Passover*

During the month in which Ramadan and Passover is observed, the Reed Community Pantry will be adding a shelf and a fridge section in the pantry with a limited amount of food reserved for students who are observing Ramadan and increase supplies in Kosher items for Passover.  Special requests can be made via the request notebook on the front desk but are not guaranteed.  Please contact the RCP team at communitypantry@reed.edu if you have any questions.

Monetary Donations

The Reed Community Pantry is part of a cross-campus effort to ensure that everyone in our community has access to the resources they need to learn and thrive. You can support the RCP by making a donation on Reed’s giving page here. When you fill out your giving details, mark that your gift is for Reed’s Basic Needs Initiative. 

Donations from students, alumni, parents, and friends are the most flexible way to contribute to the RCP. 100% of your support enables us to purchase food items, hygiene products, and other necessary supplies—by pooling the funds we have available, the RCP is able to make purchases at a lower cost and stock our shelves with in-demand items. 

Thank you for being part of an ecosystem of mutual support at Reed. 

Item Donations

We accept food and supply donations anytime!  If you have an abundance of non-perishable food and/or basic needs items, feel free to drop them off directly at the RCP (GCC Lower Level 42).  For fresh, perishable food items, please drop off during RCP opening hours or schedule a drop-off time by emailing communitypantry@reed.edu.

We are do not accept clothing or appliance donations.  Reed's Sustainability Coordinator operates the Swap Shop next to the RCP.  The Swap Shop hosts Stuff Swaps at the end of every semester for students to donate and take used items.  SEEDS collaborates with the Swap Shop to donate extra clothing items to our community engagement partner Rahab's Sisters.

General RCP Wish List

Check out our wish list below!  You can purchase food and supplies from this list and deliver them directly to our office (Reed Community Pantry, Student Center 112, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97202) or drop off your donations at the RCP (GCC Lower Level 42).  Please email the RCP if you have any questions regarding donations or wish to make a bulk/large donation.

Essentials

  • Frozen meals, veggies and fruits
  • Box meals (Rice-A-Roni, minute rice, mac & cheese, etc.)
  • Instant meals (microwavable bowls, ramen, cup noodles, etc.)
  • Cereal
  • Bread
  • Tortilla
  • Rice
  • Proteins (meat, eggs, tofu, fish, plant-based meat, etc.)
  • Dairy (yogurt, butter sticks, milk, lactose-free milk, etc.)
  • Milk alternatives (Soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, etc.)
  • Peanut butter, almond butter, jelly, honey
  • Snacks (candy, popcorn, chips, cookies, fruit cups, fruit juice, etc.)
  • Protein bars, granola bars, fruit bars
  • First Aid & Medicine (rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, individually packaged pain killer, allergy medicine, vitamin, cough drops, etc.)

Essentials for Cooking and Baking

  • Canned vegetables & beans (corn, diced/whole tomatoes, refried beans, garbanzos, black beans, etc.)
  • Canned fruits (peach, pineapple, etc.)
  • Canned soups
  • Sauces (tomato sauce, alfredo sauce, etc.)
  • Canned meat (tuna, sardine, spam, chicken breast, etc.)
  • Broth & Stocks (chicken, beef, bone, vegetable, etc.)
  • Flour, masa, pancake mix, cookie mix, cake mix
  • Oils (Olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, etc.)
  • Spices & Condiment (salt & pepper, garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, soy sauce, mayonnaise, hot sauce, etc.)

Essential Toiletries

  • Shampoo and conditioner
  • Body lotion (vaseline, shea butter, etc.)
  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
  • Body wash and/or soap
  • Tissue box, toilet paper, paper towel
  • Deodorant

Household Supplies

  • Laundry detergent
  • Hand soap
  • Dish soap & sponges
  • Cleaning products

Frequently Asked Questions

How does someone access the services provided by the Reed Community Pantry?

The RCP has weekly hours communicated through campus email, social media, and flyers. We strive to offer as many open pantry hours as possible. We also strive to provide a judgment-free zone. Any Reed community member (with a Reed ID) can access the RCP, no questions asked.

Student leaders, including Housing Advisers (HAs), Peer Mentor Program (PMP) mentors, Peer Health Advocates, and SEEDS coordinators are key partners in promoting the available resources and referring students to the pantry. Additionally, the RCP team can connect students to the financial aid office for consultation and support.

Who manages the Reed Community Pantry?

Who can use the Reed Community Pantry?

All current Reed students, staff, and faculty are eligible to access the RCP (with Reed ID). We will invite those accessing services to complete a voluntary demographic survey.

What does the Reed Community Pantry look like and where is it located?

The RCP is on the lower level of Gray Campus Center (GCC 042). It is a welcoming space that includes two refrigerators with fresh and frozen foods, shelving for various food items, hygiene products, textbooks, and school supplies.

Where does the pantry get food and other supplies?

The pantry is stocked with food and supplies purchased with financial contributions from the student senate, alumni, and donors, and direct donations from Reed community members.  The RCP team and volunteers shop from local grocery stores and online vendors to ensure essential food and supplies are regularly stocked.

What if I have non-perishable food I want to contribute?

Contributions can be dropped off at the pantry during regularly scheduled open hours. Those wishing to make a donation outside of scheduled open hours can contact the RCP team to coordinate. Due to limited space and staffing, we can only accept food and supply items that are new, unopened and unexpired.  Perishable and opened food items left at the RCP without notice will be thrown away due to food safety concerns.

Can I contribute fresh and perishable food or leftover food from events?

Please contact the RCP team in advance if you want to donate fresh and perishable food items, such as harvest from a farm or leftover food items from an event.  The RCP will accept donations of limited quantities of packaged, perishable food. 

Another suggestion is to share a brief post on on-campus social media groups such as Buy/Sell/Trade, the Low SES/First Gen Students page, Multicultural Resource Center, or Peer Mentor Program, the post should include the location of food and how long it will be available.

When planning catered events, consider requesting to-go containers (Bon Appetit catering can provide these at a minimal cost) or bringing disposable containers so that leftover food can be taken home with event participants.

How do I donate extra board points?

Towards the end of the academic year, students will be able to donate their extra board points to the RCP online.  The donated board points will be used for purchasing bulk food items for the RCP.

Students can also use their extra board points to purchase items at the Bon Appetite yard sale at the end of the academic year and donate the items directly to the RCP.

Another way to donate board points is to utilize Bon Appetite's mobile ordering app to order perishable and/or non-perishable food items, pick up and donate by dropping the items off at the RCP directly.

What programs are available outside of Reed to support people with food insecurity?

Oregon Food Bank has a searchable database that shows a list of all nearby food assistance resources, including prepared meals and food pantries.

Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) provides Oregon food assistance benefits. 211 Info can help people apply for SNAP and connect those eligible to other supplementary food assistance programs like farm direct vouchers, nutrition education, and resources to help people grow their own food.

Who can donate to the Basic Needs Initiative? What types of donations are accepted?

Anyone can donate to the Basic Needs Initiative. Here are some ways:

  • You can support the RCP by making a donation on Reed’s giving page here. When you fill out your giving details, mark that your gift is for Reed’s Basic Needs Initiative.

  • Direct contributions of food and supplies to the Reed Community Pantry are accepted during scheduled open hours—view our wish list above.

  • End-of-semester board point contributions are used to purchase food from Bon Appetit to supply the pantry.