WSMV Channel 4 Austin Peay grows food pantry to help fill need

It's the first of it's kind in Tennessee - a food pantry on a college campus. A class project at Austin Peay State University revealed many students are struggling to pay for food and sometimes going hungry.

"There's a lot of kids who need help and don't want to seek help," said APSU student Tahji Peebles.

But food is one thing leaders at Austin Peay say no student should go without.

"This affects their ability to do good course work. It affects their ability to concentrate in class," faculty member Mary Fran Davis said.

A pair of grad students' research led to the university-wide initiative.

"They had heard about some pantries closing in the area, so they thought if these are closing down, where are students going to get food," said student advisor Alexandra Wills.

Any student who needs the food has to fill out an application. If they have to come back a second time, they're asked to meet with social workers to see if there is a greater need.

The pantry opened Thursday on donations from student groups and faculty. And Peebles and his fraternity used a food drive to help stock up the pantry.

"A student had to talk to me about it, and he said he might be looking at going to the food pantry. And I told him it's a great idea, and I also said you can come to my house because he's a brother of mine," Peebles said.

It's a program Austin Peay leaders plan to continue as long as there is a need.

The food pantry is open during the week, and the food is not just for students. They are able to request more if they have a family to feed.

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