The Triton Pantry is a food resource for any enrolled UMSL student who is experiencing or is at risk of food insecurity or hunger.
By Kala Dunn, University Advancement
The Triton Pantry at the University of Missouri–St. Louis is on a mission to make sure every student enters the classroom having had a nutritious meal. Stocked with refrigerated and nonperishable food items as well as personal hygiene items, household cleaning supplies, diapers, baby food, school supplies and more, the Triton Pantry is a vital resource that allows hardworking UMSL students to thrive.
“The pantry has grown so much from when we first started,” said Robin Kimberlin, director of Student Advocacy and Care. “Before we had an actual space, we were packing bags and bringing them to different locations for people to pick up. Then we got the space at the Millennium Student Center.”
The Triton Pantry is stocked with refrigerated and nonperishable food items as well as personal hygiene items, household cleaning supplies, diapers, baby food, school supplies and more.
The Triton Pantry is located on the first floor of the MSC, down the hall from The Nosh, and thanks to university support, it is currently run by two supervising employees and a team of five student workers who keep the doors open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During those hours, the pantry serves many students who are grateful for the reliable support system.
A Triton Pantry patron who asked to remain anonymous said: “Having a resource like the Triton Pantry has truly been impactful. It’s more than just food – it’s support, care and a reminder that my university genuinely wants me to succeed. The weight that’s been lifted off my shoulders because of this resource is something I will never forget.”
Countless students have had their lives similarly touched by the Triton Pantry. In the first eight weeks of the fall 2025 semester, the pantry welcomed 289 unique individuals who made a combined 762 visits.
“Many of our students are enrolled in full-time degree programs while also working full time or juggling multiple part-time jobs to support themselves – and often their families and children as well,” said Shannon Quinn, senior case manager for Student Advocacy and Care. “The Triton Pantry, and every shelf we’re able to stock, is a signal that we care about students’ well-being, their needs and their success. It’s a constant reminder that their community believes in them and is committed to helping them thrive.”
The items on the shelves of the Triton Pantry come from a variety of sources, but the pantry relies especially heavily on strong community partnerships with the St. Louis Area Food Bank and Operation Food Search. UMSL is also the only school in St. Louis that partners with the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank to offer supplies to students with children.
Those community partnerships allow the pantry to operate with an incredibly high return on investment, a fact that makes donors especially proud to support its work. Triton Pantry staff noted that while food drives are helpful, the most effective way to make a difference for students is through a monetary gift.
“We are set up to have a really efficient use of the money coming in,” Kimberlin said. “Almost all of the food that we purchase comes through our partnership with the St. Louis Area Food Bank, so it’s not like we’re buying it off the shelves at regular price. We will buy a limited amount of things at retail prices if they are things the students need that we can’t get through the food bank. But overall, donors should understand that when they give us a dollar, we can make it go a lot further than they can make it go.”
The cost to operate the Triton Pantry for one month is approximately $2,000, but the community of care it offers to UMSL students is priceless.
This GivingTuesday, Dec. 2, UMSL invites the Triton community to join in supporting the Triton Pantry and its mission of helping students enter the classroom fueled to learn. Thank you for your generosity.
