Adelphi’s Panther Pantry Operational Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Adelphi’s Panther Pantry has gone virtual. The pantry, which provides vulnerable members of the community with basic food, personal care products, clothing and more free of charge throughout the year, is continuing its services amid the coronavirus outbreak, filling online orders daily.

Typically, there would be both in-person and online orders, but in light of the coronavirus outbreak, the staff and student volunteers at the Panther Pantry have transitioned to online services solely.

“The pantry is continuing to operate and serve the needs of the community,” said Michael Hoffner, coordinator of Adelphi’s Interfaith Center and Spirituality Services, who also oversees the largely volunteer-based Panther Pantry.

To order, students and other members of the University community can access the Panther Pantry through Adelphi’s eCampus. As of March 26, orders are filled and delivered to the campus mailroom, where students will get a notification that their package is ready. According to Hoffner, pantry orders have already increased this month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In March as a whole, we have filled 52 orders,” said Hoffner. “From March 16 to 18 alone, we filled 21.”

The online ordering system, created by Adelphi’s Office of Information Technology, was originally intended to offer an alternative that was more confidential to users, but having it in place and functioning well has eased the transition to today’s circumstances.

See more and get the latest updates at the Panther Pantry’s website, along with a story about its opening in 2018.