Fuel Pantry | Office of Student Life

Who Can Use the Pantry?

The Fuel Pantry is for all students, faculty, and staff facing food insecurity and in need of assistance. Our goal is to conveniently provide food for members of our campus community who may be food insecure. Students, faculty and staff will need to provide a Colleague ID number and complete a short registration form. Students need to be currently enrolled. No proof of need is necessary.

New Clients

If you are a new client, please complete the registration form prior to your first pickup. If you do not complete the form prior to pickup, we will ask you to do it in person at the time of pickup.

How to Use the Pantry

Starting Fall 2021, clients must preorder their items through our ordering website, however clients facing an urgent need can always stop by the pantry during Pickup Hours for immediate service. When the pantry is closed, clients with urgent need should come to the Office of Student Life, SSC 1217.

Orders will be available for pick up at the Fuel Pantry in the Student Resource Center (SRC 1001) during the days and times listed below. The final step in placing your online order will be to select a time for pickup. Please note the deadlines for online ordering.

If you have any questions or issues with the ordering system please email Shannon Hernandez.

Pickup Hours

Days Times Ordering Deadline

Tuesdays 10 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday 11:59 p.m.

Wednesdays 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday 11:59 p.m.

Thursdays 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday 11:59 p.m.

We will be increasing our hours of operation as we are able to add staffing. If the current times do not work for you, please email Shannon Hernandez to arrange other accommodations.

Donations

The Fuel Pantry accepts toiletry and non-perishable food donations at any time of the year. To arrange a drop off for donations please email studentlife@cod.edu. In addition, tax deductible cash donations can be made through the COD Foundation.

Preferred Donation Items Include

Granola bars
Cereal
Soups
Peanut butter
Jelly
Any kind of pasta
Spaghetti sauce
Canned vegetables and fruit
Oatmeal
Canned Tuna or chicken
Bags of rice or dried beans
Pancake mix
Syrup
Macaroni and cheese
Jell-O
Salad Dressing
Shampoo
Conditioner
Toothpaste
Soap
Toilet Paper
Paper Towels

Other Pantry Resources

The following links provide listings for food pantries in DuPage County and the surrounding area. Please be aware that some food pantries require you to demonstrate need through income verification. Please call ahead.

Volunteers

At this time the Fuel Pantry is not in need of additional volunteers.

For questions or more information on the Fuel Pantry, email studentlife@cod.edu or leave a message at (630) 942-3054.

History

Each year the College's Phi Theta Kappa chapter participates in a project known as the "College-Wide Project" and for the fall 2015 project the chapter researched the need for a food pantry on campus. They spent the semester meeting with local experts and college administration, conducting surveys of current students and faculty/staff and working with service learning students on the need and feasibility of opening a pantry. Phi Theta Kappa's research alone found that 100 out of 750 College of DuPage students reported having access to only 1-2 full meals a day or less than a full meal a day. The chapter felt that this showed food insecurity was definitely an issue that should be addressed at College of DuPage. Phi Theta Kappa wanted to support the campus community members by giving them the brain "fuel" they need to succeed while at the College of DuPage and therefore created the FUEL Pantry.

"Many college students who experience food insecurity struggle to reach milestones such as year-to-year persistence and certificate or degree completion" - Higher Education Today