Champ's Kitchen is Open on the SXU Campus
Champ's Kitchen at Saint Xavier University (SXU) is open. Champ's Kitchen is an on-campus food pantry located in the Center for SUCCESS (L-208) and aims to alleviate hunger on campus so students can continue to focus on their path to success.
"It's heart-warming to see a community of individuals come together in the spirit of hospitality and compassion to help alleviate hunger at SXU. We have received donations from very generous students, faculty, and staff as well as community members. Just this last semester, we had three local businesses run food drives individually to collect donations for Champ's Kitchen. It is inspiring to see the reach of this initiative," said Josh Bogaski-Baugh, executive director of Student Success.
The pantry is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Introduced by the Center for SUCCESS in late 2021, Champ's Kitchen was created in response to a 2019 nationwide survey of 167,000 students by Temple University's Hope Center, which determined 39% of students experienced food insecurity. With a high number of in-need, Pell-eligible students at SXU, Champ's Kitchen offers students a quick and simple way to get the fuel they need to focus on their studies.
To visit Champ’s Kitchen, students should set up a time in Handshake. First-time users will be asked to complete a confidential questionnaire. Faculty and staff may make arrangements by emailing champskitchenFREESXU.
"Our staff work with intentionality to ensure that the process is discrete for all individuals that use Champ's Kitchen and that each individual is treated with respect and compassion when they walk into the Center for SUCCESS," said Bogaski-Baugh.
Champ's Kitchen accepts donations of non-perishable food items and toiletries. Those who wish to donate may do so by dropping physical donations in one of the marked cardboard bins around the University or in L-208. To donate fiscally, visit SXU's Make a Gift web page, select "other" from the dropdown menu, and type Champ's Kitchen in the text field.
Champ's Kitchen plans to continue to grow over the coming semesters.
"We are currently looking at ways to expand the food pantry through frozen food items, which will allow us to provide healthier and more culturally-inclusive options for our community," said Bogaski-Baugh.
For more information, contact Bogaski-Baugh at bogaskibaughFREESXU or email champskitchenFREESXU.