Stocked & Reddie Food Pantry Celebrates 5 Years of Serving Team UAMS
| The UAMS Stocked & Reddie Food Pantry on July 15 celebrated the fifth anniversary of its founding along with the more than 1.1 million meals it has provided.
“If you think about how this started, it started because this is part of the values of our organization. You think of this, the living wages for all employees, the UAMS Child Development Center. All of these are aligned with our institutional values,” Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, said.
With Reddie standing by, Jennifer Mondragon, left, pantry manager, holds a tray of stocked with examples of some of the food items the pantry offers to UAMS student and employee members.
Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D., UAMS provost and chief strategy officer, in her remarks at the anniversary celebration recalled where the idea of the Stocked & Reddie Food Pantry came from.
She said that several years ago, some students saw box lunches out in a hallway that were left over from an event. A conversation with the students prompted her and the chancellor to launch a university survey about food insecurity. Conducted in 2018, the survey found that a significant number of UAMS students questioned at some point each month where their next meal was coming from.
Gardner along with other members of university leadership visited the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and the food pantry there, and they returned with some ideas. After much planning and preparation, the UAMS pantry opened in July 2019.
A part of UAMS Nutrition and Hospitality Services, Stocked & Reddie serves UAMS employees and students as well as employees of Arkansas Children’s Hospital. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pantry supported families when family members were furloughed from jobs or were quarantined or isolated.
The pantry has more than 3,000 members — 65% UAMS employees, 15% students and 20% ACH employees. The pantry protects their privacy while also helping its members.
More than 500 members picked up food from Stocked & Reddie on July 15, the day of the anniversary celebration, setting a new one-day record at the pantry.
Erin Gray, assistant vice chancellor and clinical liaison for Environmental Services (EVS), Nutrition Services, and Occupational Health & Safety, said, “I think what is unique about this program is you don’t always know what’s going on in the lives of your co-workers.”
Gray said that one of the employees whom she supervises is a member of Stocked & Reddie, and she didn’t realize the employee was taking care of three family members with health issues.
“While on her own, she might be able to make it, Stocked & Reddie helps her take care of her family,” Gray said. “I never would have known that if I hadn’t been talking about this upcoming anniversary, and that prompted her to tell me her story.”
Food insecurity and the need for the help that the pantry provides have only increased over time.
Katriel Alexander, director of Stocked & Reddie, said she thinks much of the growth can be attributed to inflation in food prices, motivating employees and students to become members to stretch household budgets.
Continuing challenges to Stocked & Reddie are a need for more space as well as staffing. Volunteers are a huge help, Alexander said, as in addition to manager Jennifer Mondragon, only one full-time employee and one part-time employee fill out the staff. Deliveries and donations often come in large bulk shipments that require unpacking and placement in storage or on shelves. Almost 350,000 pounds of food has been donated since 2023.
Alexander said the pantry receives some grant funding and continues to look for more.
Mondragon thanked all the Stocked & Reddie supporters, including several financial and food donors who were on hand for the celebration and a tour. Among the pantry’s community partners are:
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital
- Arkansas Community Foundation
- Arkansas Foodbank
- Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance
- Blue and You Foundation
- Engage
- Potluck Food Rescue
- US Foods
- West Little Rock Sam’s Club
Alexander said she started volunteering at Stocked & Reddie after her regular workday was done. Volunteers are a vital part of keeping the pantry operating as are individual donations of food and money from non-members, she said.