Grant Supports Leo Food Pantry

Adrianne Montero-Camacho, director of Accessibility and SOS Services, and Myracle Johnson, student worker. (ULV Photo/Brandon Le)

New funding to help pantry meet student needs with fresh food and expanded services

Services at the Leo Food Pantry will expand significantly thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Gilead Foundation.

The pantry provides free meals and groceries to students experiencing food insecurity, and the new funding will allow it to broaden its services and reach. The grant will support a larger selection of nutritious foods, the hiring of additional staff, the purchase of a new refrigerator and shelving, and the implementation of inventory-tracking software to improve service. It will also expand the availability of culturally inclusive holiday meals.

“This will make a huge difference for students,” said Adrianne Montero-Camacho, director of Accessibility and SOS Services. “They’ve been asking for fresh fruits and vegetables, and now we’ll be able to provide refrigerated food.”

Established in 2017, the Leo Food Pantry served more than 1,000 students last year. A recent survey found that 67% of pantry users relied on the service for meals they would have otherwise skipped.

“Developing this grant application was a heartwarming process,” said Karina Cummings, director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. “It became clear just how transformational this funding would be for our students and how much it would expand the pantry’s capacity and resources.”

The Gilead Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Gilead Sciences, Inc., works to create a thriving and equitable health ecosystem. Taking a holistic approach, the Foundation addresses the root causes of health inequities by investing in organizations that empower people to advocate for themselves and build strong systems of support that strengthen communities, classrooms, and workplaces.