Campus Food Access
The Wesley Center strives to serve the common good for all Hamline students. As part of this mission, we are pioneering initiatives to ensure all Hamline students have access to affordable, culturally appropriate, and nutritious foods.
Hamline Food Resource Center (FRC)
Formerly known as the "pop-up pantry," the Food Resource Center (FRC) is located in West Hall 110. There, students can find free, nutritious, and culturally specific food and household items. No "proof of need" is required to shop in the FRC and it’s as easy as using the library or gym! FRC hours, information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits program (also known as food stamps), and other community pantries is available on the Food Resource Center's Google site or in-person at West Hall 110.
Contact the FRC: foodaccess@hamline.edu, 651-523-2848.
Donate to the FRC
To give a fiscal donation to the Food Resource Center, click the “Donate” link below. Please select "Other" under the “Designation” field and type “Food Resource Center” in the blank space that appears. For other donations, such as paper and reusable bags, personal care items, and unopened food (see Second Harvest for safety guidelines for items past their packaging dates), please deliver them directly to the Food Resource Center at West Hall 110. These donations are greatly appreciated.
Food resource history
Early history
At a teach-in in February 2017, students expressed concerns they had and barriers they were facing in accessing abundant, healthy food on and off campus. These comments sparked a small group of students, including the then current Campus Food Access AmeriCorps VISTA, Emma Kiley, to look into food insecurity on Hamline's campus. This group, along with some faculty and staff, sent out a survey to all undergraduate students attending Hamline in the 2016–2017 academic year. Of the nearly 360 students who responded, 70% noted that they could not afford to eat nutritionally balanced meals, 50% of respondents said they cut or skipped meals to stretch their food budget, and nearly 70% noted that they had difficulty paying their rent.
Spurred by the survey results, students launched the Feed Your Brain Campaign in Spring 2017, a student initiative dedicated to educating about food insecurity at Hamline. At that time, Feed Your Brain began working with Hamline administration, campus leaders, and community members to establish a Food Resource Center (FRC) on campus. Originally a “pop-up pantry,” the FRC opened as a permanent fixture in Fall 2019.
Partnership with Good in the 'Hood
In Spring 2021 the FRC embarked upon a partnership with Good in the Hood, who serves as a fiscal partner, turning the FRC into a Food for Thought Pantry. In Fall 2022, the FRC moved to its current, more accessible. In Spring 2024, students supported a student resolution funding the FRC and basic needs programs on campus. This funds 1.4 professional staff positions. The first Basic Needs Program and Case Manager joined the FRC in January 2025. In Fall 2025, the Wesley Center Program Assistant joined the Basic Needs team with a 0.4 FTE allocation to the FRC.