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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – A new Community Partner Award established at Salem State University has been given to The Salem Pantry in its inaugural year, a gesture that further cements a vital partnership between the two local institutions.
Salem State University delivered the award to The Salem Pantry at its annual Community Partner Breakfast on Wednesday, Nov. 13. The award is reflective of a well-established relationship between the two partners, built as the Pantry itself has grown to meet the food security demands of the region.
“This year, we wanted to more broadly highlight our partners and the great work they do, with a special attention on how to build reciprocal community partnerships that are also equitable,” said Katelyn Adams, assistant director of Salem State’s Center for Civic Engagement. “When we were thinking about our partners who are truly being intentional and building equitable partnerships, it was without a doubt the Pantry that stood out.”
The Salem Pantry has experienced its own brand of success throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. After hiring its first executive director just before coronavirus struck, the organization has since heavily expanded and launched a truck-based mobile pantry operation to meet clients where they are. The Pantry now distributes 64,000 pounds of food across all sites each week, versus about 7,500 pounds in 2019 – a more than 800% increase across five years.
A portion of that distribution has always taken place adjacent to Salem State University, with the Pantry initially running a pop-up market for Salem State and neighboring Rainbow Terrace in an underutilized space on Loring Avenue. The Pantry’s mobile efforts expanded with a food truck operation known as “The Truck,” which today hits each of Salem State’s three campuses every week.
"Food insecurity is a concern for many of our very own students, so we take this challenge seriously at Salem State,” university President John Keenan said. “Students who come to campus nourished perform better in the classroom, leading to stronger outcomes academically and onward in life.“
The Pantry’s programs were borne out of the Salem Food Policy Council. In 2018, the organization “did a study that looked at the need for food in the community,” said Robyn Burns, executive director of the Pantry.
“Out of that, there was a finding that there was a chronic unmet need for food,” Burns said. “The model at 68 Loring Ave. was a defacto flagship for the Mobile Pantry program. As we were shifting models to The Truck, it gave us an opportunity to work much more closely with the university.”
The relationship between The Salem Pantry and Salem State extends far beyond The Truck, with programming and planning efforts commonly bringing the two together. That includes research performed by economics professor Kurt von Seekamm and students to interpret The Salem Pantry’s service locations. From that research, The Salem Pantry was able to shift its offerings to better reach clients not just where but when they’re available.
The Salem Pantry is also an invaluable partner in moving conversations about food insecurity forward.
“I reach out to them frequently to come to campus and talk about food insecurity,” Adams said. “We see them as the experts on food insecurity, and we bring them in to learn about how we can address this challenge on our campus and in our community. They’re part of the SSU family at this point.”
The Pantry has also been a partner of Salem State’s First Year Day of Service for several years running.
“While we support our students through their academic journey, we aim to instill in them the value of being engaged community members. Our partnership with The Salem Pantry provides an opportunity for our students to be involved with an incredible local organization and to realize the impact first-hand it can have in the community and for them,” Keenan said. “We are thankful for our partnership with The Salem Pantry, for both their program partnerships and their work ensuring our students have adequate nutrition at home.”
The Salem Pantry is excited to receive the honor.
“We’re honored to receive the award,” Burns said. “We love our partnership with Salem State University, going all the way up to President John Keenan. He has always been such a champion for what we do.”