CLEVELAND — Cleveland State University has a food pantry and resource center, called ‘Lift Up Vikes!’ located in the heart of campus.

Megan Ashwill, the coordinator for the food pantry, said that in past semesters they typically served about 300 students per week, but this fall they have seen a significant increase.

“Anywhere between 330 and 350 students a week we have been working with, trying to make sure that everybody has fair and equitable access to the resources we have available," Ashwill said.

In order for students to utilize these resources, they sign up for a shopping time at the food pantry, and Ashwill said time slots usually fill up each week.

Community members are also invited to use the pantry, and they do not have to sign up online.

“They have private shopping appointments that last about 15 minutes, and we let about eight shoppers in at a time, and students are able to select items off of shelves that correspond with the limits that we have,” she said. “Today they can take four canned good items but a limit of only two fish because we try to make sure that everyone gets a protein.”

Alexia Miracle is the student manager for the pantry. She has been helping other students on campus get access to the resources they need since 2020.

“I have seen the students that come into the pantry grow, and I really just think resources like this are important because of the way the world is right now,” Miracle said. “I think it’s really great to get people excited about just like being a person in this space rather than being someone dealing with food insecurity.”

The pantry is always accepting donations. You can contact them through their website.