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Fuel Pantry

The following information has been updated to reflect the COVID 19 campus closure.

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. 

Hours of Operation

Fuel Pantry curbside pick ups are offered on Thursdays from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Student Resource Center North entrance (near the bookstore). All orders must be submitted by Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. for pick up on Thursday. Orders placed after 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday will not be available until the following week. Click on this Order Form link to place your order.

You will receive a confirmation email that your order has been received. If you have any questions please contact Shannon at hernan@cod.edu or you can leave a message at (630) 942-3054.

When you arrive for the pick up please stay in your car and we will bring your order to you and place in your trunk or backseat.

If you have not previously been a client with the Pantry you can still sign up for this curbside pickup. If you are interested in receiving food from the Fuel Pantry, but are unable to attend the pickup on Thursdays or have transportation challenges, please email hernan@cod.edu so we can explore other options.

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