Kendall Campus’ Food Pantry Rebranded—Renamed Hungry Haven
After receiving two fridges and 25 sets of pots and pans from the American Heart Association, Kendall Campus’ Student Life department was inspired to rebrand its food pantry.
Following a $3,500 makeover, which includes new decals and shelving, the pantry is now known as Hungry Haven.
“Giving something a name, hopefully, takes away some of the stigma behind it,” said former Kendall Campus President Anthony Cruz, who oversaw the project. “Students that visit the Hungry Haven do it because of necessity. We wanted to rebrand it, make it a little bit nicer inside…to make it more attractive for students that really need that.”
The pantry’s doors were branded with a blue decal that reads “Hungry Haven” and “Keeping Up With Kendall.” Miami Dade College’s mascot, Finn, is pictured at center, sporting a chef’s hat and surrounded by fruits and vegetables.
Inside, the two fridges now allow the pantry to carry dairy products and produce, such as milk, orange juice, eggs, corn, carrots, apples and bananas.
New shelving—four racks with six shelves and two racks with three shelves—were also added. They feature items like pasta, canned fish, oatmeal and toiletries like toothbrushes, shampoo and feminine products.
Pedro Callender, who served as the Student Government Association president pro-tempore this past school year, said he used the pantry monthly.
“Our community is made up of different types of people and it’s important to acknowledge that not everybody has access to certain foods or has the income to buy weekly groceries,” Callender said. “A comforting space is necessary so when [students] come in here, like the name says, it’s a ‘haven.’ You don’t have to feel any sort of negative way for needing that extra food.”
To use the pantry, which is located in building 100, students must be enrolled in the current semester and complete the Single Stop benefit screening form. Students can visit the pantry once every two weeks and take a maximum of 10 pounds worth of supplies.
Hours of operation are Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“[The pantry] has been a constant, reliable [re]source for our students,” said Student Life Director Wendy Garcia.
For more information, call Student Life at (305) 237-2321 or Single Stop at (305) 237-0712.
Staff writer Nikole Valiente contributed to this story.
Click here to subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, The Hammerhead. For news tips, contact us at mdc.thereporter@gmail.com.
