Rutgers Health Food Pantry
Welcome
The Rutgers Health Food Pantry, established in September 2021, is dedicated to alleviating food insecurity and promoting the holistic well-being of the students, faculty, and staff. By providing consistent access to nutritious food and essential items, individuals are empowered to thrive academically, professionally, and personally. The pantry hosts multiple mobile outdoor pantry events across campus and provides cooking workshops and demos, making basic needs more accessible for the Rutgers Health community.
Grab What You Need, No Questions
The Rutgers Health Food Pantry is located at the Stanley S. Bergen Building in Newark, New Jersey, and offers a welcoming environment for students, faculty, and staff to get healthy food at no cost. The process is simple: patrons can either submit a request for pickup online or drop by the pantry when it's open.
Sample Items:
- Nonperishable foods
- Hygienic items (shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, laundry detergent)
- Sanitizing wipes
- Menstrual products
- Baby products (diapers, baby wipes)
To be able to help provide food and other necessities for students and faculty is an important task, and the pantry handles it perfectly.
Cameron Saks
Student, School of Graduate Studies
Impact By the Numbers
See our impact from the 2024-2025 academic year.
Why It Matters
Food insecurity is a growing crisis on college campuses, affecting students’ health, academic performance, and overall well-being. Nationally, as many as 42% of college students experience food insecurity, and 81% report that it negatively impacts their academic success. At Rutgers Health in Newark, nearly one in four students faces food insecurity, a challenge that was only intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lack of access to nutritious food doesn’t just impact physical and mental health, it also limits students’ ability to fully engage in their education. Recognizing this urgent need, the Rutgers Health Food Pantry was launched in Fall 2021 to provide free, healthy food and essential items in a supportive, stigma-free environment. Our mission is simple: to ensure that no member of our community has to choose between nourishment and their future.
Volunteer Opportunities
We welcome students, staff, and faculty—both individuals and groups—as well as community members to volunteer with us! Volunteering at the Rutgers Health Food Pantry is a meaningful way to engage with peers and support health and well-being.
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- Mondays: 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
- Assist with unloading weekly deliveries
- Sort and organize produce
- Stock pantry shelves with new and existing items
- Tuesdays: 12–1:30 p.m. or 1:30–3 p.m.
- Package and distribute pantry orders
- Organize and restock food pantry items
- Greet and direct food pantry visitors
- Thursdays: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and Fridays: 12–2 p.m.
- Stock pantry shelves with new and existing items
- Serve clients
- Mondays: 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
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- Closed-toed shoes are required for safety purposes.
- Dress comfortably in clothing suitable for light physical activity.
- Please sign up online to volunteer so we can plan accordingly.
Donations Welcome
To donate to the food pantry, view the lists of suggested items and drop-off locations below. You can also donate food directly to the food pantry from our Amazon Wish List or send us similar items from a vendor of your choice.
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We ask that you check the expiration date prior to the donation of any food items. We are not yet able to accept perishable items, and cannot accept any food past the expiration date listed on the item.
- Peanut butter
- Shelf-stable milk
- Apple juice
- Jelly/fruit spread
- Tomato sauce
- Ramen noodles and packaged pasta
- Rice (small bags/boxes)
- Condiments (salad dressing, mayonnaise, etc.)
- Snacks (granola bars, dried fruit, crackers, chips etc.)
- Hygienic items (shampoo, body wash, toothpaste/tooth brush, etc.)
- Baby wipes
- Period products
- Diapers (size N-7)
- Baby wipes
- Laundry detergent
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- SSB 353 (3rd Floor SHP)
- Room 1010 at SPH Newark (One Riverfront Plaza)
For large donations or to host a food drive, please email rbhsfoodpantry@rbhs.rutgers.edu to coordinate.
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Monetary donations can be made on the Rutgers University Foundation website or by mailing a check to the address below with the memo “Rutgers Health Food Pantry."
Rutgers University Foundation
P.O. Box 193
New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0193
Meet the Team
For more information about the Rutgers Health Food Pantry and how you can get involved, email rbhsfoodpantry@rbhs.rutgers.edu.
Joachim Sackey
Dr. Joachim Sackey is a nutritional epidemiologist with interests in food insecurity, HIV-related comorbidities associated with poor diet, and nutrition issues among racial and sexual minorities. He currently conducts research in Newark, New Jersey, and Botswana. Sackey received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in nutritional epidemiology from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and an M.Phil. degree in dietetics from the University of Ghana.
Jesus Gualario
Jesus Gualario is the Administrative Services Manager for the Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Imaging Sciences, the Department of Clinical & Preventive Nutrition Sciences, and the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at Rutgers University. In this role, he oversees a wide range of administrative, financial, and operational functions, ensuring the smooth execution of departmental processes and supporting faculty, staff, and students across programs.
Jazmine Garcia
With a background in food systems and sustainability, Jazmine is passionate about improving food access and building supportive campus communities. She graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies and Plant Studies from Ramapo College. She joined the Rutgers School of Health Professions in December 2024. She loves connecting with students and creating opportunities for engagement around food and wellness.