More students are using the McAuley Market, a campus free food and utilities pantry than ever before, organizers say.
According to David Baloga, Coordinator of Volunteer Service and Service-Learning, who oversees the program alongside student volunteers and work-study students, usage has steadily increased, with more than 100 students now visiting the McAuley Market each week.
The McAuley Market is a free pantry accessible to all students, located in McAuley Hall just off the breezeway. The Market is stocked with shelf-stable food, snacks, as well as cleaning supplies and personal care products. Students can access the Market completely anonymously, allowing them to take what they need without added pressure or visibility.
A key focus of the Market is preserving dignity for those who use it. “We try to stock the shelves with the product label facing out so it looks like you’re in a grocery store. So it has a sense of dignity to it—that people are just kind of shopping for what they want,” Baloga said.
He added that the name reflects this mission, calling it a market instead of a pantry.
Baloga believes anonymity plays a major role in the program’s success. Rather than requiring sign-ins, weekly use is tracked by the press of a button.
“You see groups of students coming to our office to grab the key and going over together. So it’s kind of like, you know, ‘we need stuff, we just go to the market’,” said Baloga.
This approach has helped normalize the experience, he said.
Officials have also made efforts to increase accessibility. The door to the Mission, Ministry, and Service Office is left open, and the key to the McAuley Market is available at any time for students to use.
Additionally, the McAuley Mini Market initiative introduced snack carts in buildings across campus. These carts are stocked with surplus items from the main Market, making them more readily available throughout students’ daily routines.
The Markey is supplied via donations from the local community.
“We’re working on another grant for next year, but unfortunately that didn’t work out this year to keep things in stock. But we rely on donations that we receive sometimes from parents, sometimes from faculty and staff,” Baloga said.
Supplies also come through Midwest Food Bank, and partnerships with Fork Over Love, which collaborates with local restaurants, every other week, Meals left over from distributions are brought to the Market and stored in a refrigerator for anyone to take.
“I think McAuley Market is about hospitality,” Baloga said. “That like…we have this here for you, we’re not going to ask any questions, and you know, we want you to feel at home and not be hungry and not have to worry about stuff like this.”
Jonathan Castlegrant, a third year mass communications and design major, said his first visit to the McAuley Market happened almost by accident. He initially didn’t know what it was, and he followed friends who were heading there.
“I’ve always acknowledged that there’s a door there. It’s just a time that I actually opened it. I was like, ‘oh, there’s stuff in here’. So I was like, I’m here, I’ll take a candy bar,” Castlegrant said.
All items in the McAuley Market are free, and the space is open to students 24/7, making it a reliable and judgment-free resource.
Castlegrant noted that the accessibility of the Market makes it especially useful for students with varied schedules, or during periods when the cafeteria is closed. “The MSS door’s unlocked all the time, so it’s really—you could go there at 2:00 A.M.,” he said.
Castlegrant also mentioned how the anonymity of the Market helps reduce the stigma often associated with food insecurity.
“I think that’s a good thing. You don’t have to ask. Some people are shy or embarrassed, or whatever the case may be, they don’t want to ask. But the key’s there. You just take it,” Castlegrant said.
Other students have responded positively to the Market, expressing their appreciation.
Baloga recalls how students left encouraging messages on a dry erase board in the McAuley Market.
“Students started writing little messages of ‘Thank you,’ and ‘This is awesome,’ and ‘What a great service.’ I remember even taking a photo and sending it to [Organizers] Chris and Lindsey, like, how cool was that?” Baloga said.