Feeding the Pack: How NC State’s Food Pantry Is Tackling Hunger with Heart

Every day, thousands of students walk across NC State University’s brickyard with dreams of changing the world — but for many, just getting through the week can feel like the greatest challenge. Rising tuition, rent, and grocery costs have pushed food insecurity into an unseen crisis on college campuses nationwide.

Here in Raleigh, the Feed the Pack Food Pantry — located right on Hillsborough Street in North Residence Hall — is answering that call with compassion, creativity, and community. And it is quickly gaining recognition as one of the most successful of its kind in the Southeast, if not the country.

For over 12 years, this student-led, volunteer-powered pantry has served as a lifeline for NC State students, staff, and faculty facing food insecurity. And it’s not just about handing out groceries — it’s about nurturing dignity, reducing stress, and reminding every member of the Wolfpack that they belong.

We visited the pantry this week in partnership with Live it Up Hillsborough, for a tour with Stevie Kimmet, Director of Pack Essentials. Stevie shared with us more about how the food pantry works, the vital role it plays in community, and how Raleigh residents can step up to support the pack (especially during November and the Pantry Bowl 2025).

A Mission Born from Community Care

Feed the Pack is part of Pack Essentials, an umbrella initiative that supports NC State students experiencing basic needs insecurity — whether that’s food, housing, finances, or mental health. Their mission is clear: ensure every student has access to the essentials they need to thrive, stay enrolled, and graduate.

It all began in 2012, when a small group of students noticed peers skipping meals or quietly struggling to afford groceries. They envisioned a simple, stigma-free place on campus where anyone could get help without judgment. From those early shelves in a dorm basement grew today’s vibrant operation — a full-scale food pantry distributing hundreds of thousands of pounds of food each year.

In the 2024–2025 academic year alone, Feed the Pack distributed an incredible 255,289 pounds of food through 17,333 individual visits. That’s more than 17,000 moments when someone in need was met with kindness instead of shame.

“When a student doesn’t have to worry about their next meal,” says Stevie “they can focus on their classes, internships, and the future they’re building.”

Making sure everyone is given adequate help is what drives the pantry’s operations – implementing rules and procedures that ensure everyone has equal access. Those in need can shop at the pantry once a week – using a fair number system with specific time slots for access – and can only shop for a certain amount of items per category. 

Tackling Food Insecurity, One Meal at a Time

Food insecurity isn’t just about hunger — it’s about the anxiety and distraction that come with not knowing how to meet your basic needs. For students balancing tuition, rent, and part-time work, groceries often fall to the bottom of the budget.

Through Feed the Pack, patrons can visit the pantry multiple times each month to “shop” for groceries at no cost. Shelves are stocked with fresh produce, pantry staples, snacks, hygiene products, even much needed baby products — all thanks to generous community donations and partnerships with local organizations.

The pantry operates on the principle of choice and dignity. Visitors can select their own items, just as they would in a grocery store, creating a sense of agency that helps reduce stigma. In addition to food, the Pack Essentials team connects students to other vital resources like the Student Emergency Fund, which distributed $187,166 in grants last year, and the Meal Share program, providing nearly 2,000 donated dining hall meals to students in need.

It’s a full-circle ecosystem of care — one that recognizes success in college depends as much on mental and physical well-being as it does on GPA.

Powered by Community Generosity

Feed the Pack runs on community support — and the numbers tell a powerful story.

In the 2024–2025 fiscal year, Pack Essentials raised over $610,000 and spent nearly $700,000 on direct support for students. Those funds came from individuals, corporate donors, and special events like Day of Giving and the Pantry Bowl — an annual rivalry-week competition between NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill that turns friendly school spirit into real-world impact.

The pantry’s partnerships read like a who’s who of local generosity including:

• Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina
• Food Lion Feeds
• Sprouts, Publix, and A Place at the Table Café
• Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and Bread of Life
• Players’ Retreat and Hindu Society of NC
• alongside dozens of other community partners

Together, they help stock shelves with fresh produce, protein, dairy, and nonperishables. In 2025 alone, community partners donated 1,153 pounds of produce, 3,660 diapers for families, and even 12 bicycles for students without transportation. These partnerships don’t just keep shelves full — they build relationships across Raleigh that strengthen the fabric of our community.

Beyond the Pantry Shelves

Feed the Pack’s success extends far beyond the walls of North Residence Hall. It’s also about education, sustainability, and empowering students to pay it forward. Volunteers — many of them students — play a key role in day-to-day operations, from stocking shelves to coordinating food drives and food pickups. This experience often sparks a deeper awareness of systemic inequality and inspires future leaders in public service, social work, and sustainability.

We visited on a Monday morning, which is their day to stock shelves and prepare for the week. Supplies were being delivered from nearby farms and partners and volunteers were in and out of the pantry bundling produce bags and stocking shelves.

The pantry is also making strides toward environmental responsibility. One of their 2025 goals is to go plastic-free by introducing a reusable bag policy, cutting down on waste while modeling eco-friendly habits.

And thanks to a generous Day of Giving Challenge Gift from alumni donors Brad and Ginny Remmey and Steve and Gladys Deaton, the Student Emergency Fund cap is being increased from $500 to $750 per grant — meaning even more students can get meaningful help in a crisis.

Challenges on the Horizon

Even with so much growth, the need continues to rise. Food insecurity among college students is a nationwide issue, with record growth of need year to year, and NC State is no exception.

More than 1,000 Pack Essentials applications were submitted last year, a number that continues to grow as costs rise. The pantry’s leadership team — including student coordinators — constantly work to stretch limited resources while ensuring consistent access to fresh, nutritious options.

Funding remains one of the biggest challenges. While the Pack community is incredibly generous, demand often outpaces supply. Ongoing support is essential to keep programs sustainable and shelves stocked year-round.

How You Can Help

Feed the Pack thrives because Raleigh shows up — and there are so many ways you can be part of that movement.

1. Donate Food or Funds

 Monetary donations go the furthest, allowing the pantry to purchase in-demand items and fresh food directly. You can give online at packessentials.dasa.ncsu.edu/support-feed-the-pack.

Food drives are always welcome, especially for high-need items like canned proteins, rice, pasta, shelf-stable milk, and hygiene products.

You can also purchase Hillsborough Street Dollar gift cards and set the recipient as [email protected].
Live It Up! Hillsborough will print those cards and deliver them directly to the pantry to distribute to students in need — helping them do everyday things many of us take for granted, like grabbing a meal between classes or joining a study group at a local coffee shop.

2. Volunteer Your Time

 Feed the Pack relies heavily on volunteers to sort donations, restock shelves, and assist during open hours. Whether you’re an NC State alum, a local business, or just a neighbor wanting to help — there’s a role for you.

3. Partner with the Pantry

Businesses, nonprofits, and student organizations can join as community partners. Past collaborations have included everything from restaurant fundraisers to “round-up” programs at local shops on Hillsborough Street.

4. Spread the Word

 Awareness is everything. Sharing social media posts, hosting food drives, or simply telling students where to find help can make a huge difference. We’ve made it easy for you by sharing all the important information in this post – just send it to a friend to help them learn about Feed the Pack and how they can support it! 

The Pantry Bowl 225: Rivalry for a Cause

Every fall, Wolfpack and Tar Heels fans go head-to-head for bragging rights in one of the state’s fiercest rivalries. But before the teams meet on the football field, there’s another contest happening off it — the Pantry Bowl.

This friendly challenge between NC State’s Feed the Pack and UNC-Chapel Hill’s Carolina Cupboard turns school spirit into community impact. Each school competes to collect the most monetary donations leading up to the big game – not the greatest dollar amount but the number of gifts – so any amount moves us closer to the wine! Over the last four years, Pantry Bowl donors have raised nearly $630,000 for our food pantries. 

This year’s edition — Pantry Bowl 225 — celebrates the 225th meeting of the two schools on the gridiron. But more importantly, it celebrates what’s possible when rivalry becomes unity. Funds raised during the Pantry Bowl go directly toward stocking shelves for students in need, and every dollar counts.

So whether you’re a die-hard State fan, a UNC grad, or just someone who believes in supporting local students, the Pantry Bowl is your chance to make a tangible difference. Remember, November in particular is the season for thanks-giving, so make the Pantry Bowl your cause to give back to this month. 

A Future Built on Hope and Partnership

Looking ahead, Pack Essentials is focused on expanding partnerships, refining outreach, and meeting students where they are — both on and off campus.

By deepening relationships across the Raleigh community, Feed the Pack hopes to ensure no student has to choose between paying rent and eating dinner. Their work proves that when we unite around compassion, the ripple effects touch us all.

As Live It Up! Hillsborough partners with Feed the Pack to amplify their mission, we’re reminded that Hillsborough Street is more than just the gateway to campus — it’s a hub of connection, kindness, and collective action.

So the next time you grab coffee at Cup A Joe, dinner at Players’ Retreat, or catch a game at Carter-Finley, take a moment to think about the Wolfpack spirit that fuels this city. The same spirit that drives Feed the Pack to show up, day after day, for our students.

How to Support Feed the Pack

If you’d like to be part of this effort, here’s how to get involved:

• Donate directly: packessentials.dasa.ncsu.edu/support-feed-the-pack
• Follow Feed the Pack: Instagram @feedthepack
• Learn more about Pantry Bowl 225: pantrybowl.com
• Drop off donations: Feed the Pack, 2200 Hillsborough Street, North Residence Hall

Final Thoughts

Twelve years in, Feed the Pack has become more than a food pantry — it’s a symbol of what happens when a university and its city come together to care for one another. As NC State students often say: “Once a Wolfpack, always a Wolfpack.” And regardless of whether you are a Wolfpack, or a rival alum, know that by living in Raleigh, and taking advantage of a wonderful lifestyle, you also bear the responsibility to give back and help support your Raleigh neighbors and future generations of leaders and problem solvers.

In Raleigh, a sense of belonging extends well beyond campus walls. It’s in the hands that stock shelves, the hearts that give, and the community that makes sure no one in the Pack ever goes hungry.

Resources & Learn More

All facts and figures in this article were sourced directly from official NC State and Pack Essentials resources:

• Pack Essentials Annual Report 2024–2025 (PDF) – official yearly impact and financial data.
• Feed the Pack Food Pantry – Pack Essentials – mission, donation information, and volunteer opportunities.
• Pack Essentials – About & Mission – overview of programs supporting NC State students in need.
• Pack Essentials Partnerships – community partners and collaboration highlights.
• Pantry Bowl 225 – official website for the NC State vs. UNC-Chapel Hill rivalry fundraiser supporting campus food pantries.

Together, these resources paint a powerful picture of how the Wolfpack community is working to end food insecurity and uplift every member of its Pack.

💡 Did you know? Every $1 donated can help provide three meals through the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina — meaning your contribution stretches further than you think.