A new food service is being provided by students, for students.
Jaren Carthra and Jada Celestine, sophomore HPER majors from Houston, Texas, started a dorm food pantry by the name of JC Pantry.
After struggling without a car and not being able to get to the grocery store, Carthra and Celestine decided to make a change. In addition to themselves, they noticed there were others with the same issue.
“We did not have a car or a ride to the grocery store. We would be hungry or want a quick snack and decided we needed a 24-hour grocery store,” said co-founder Celestine.
The pantry was started September 4 for their fellow students in their housing complex, Scholars Inn. It started as a small pantry in the Scholar’s clubhouse, but with so many donations and love from students they were able to expand it and add a JC Pantry to every residence hall.
JC Pantry is a place where students in dorms can go for food and essentials and trade items for what they need. In such a short amount of time JC Pantry has gained the hearts of so many students. T’Ausha Smith, a sophomore Education major at Langston, said “I feel JC Pantry has made such a positive impact on the students here at Langston. Students are now able to go inside of their clubhouse and get the nutrients and food that they need, for instance when the café is closed, or they do not have the funds to go out for food.”
JC Pantry is a “trade for trade” system for students in dorms that helps students who do not have transportation to get to stores for things they may want or need. The trade works by going to your housing clubhouse with an item to trade for an item of your choice from the pantry. In some cases, students do not have anything to trade, but JC Pantry also takes donations by Cash App to resupply the pantry.
After seeing what JC Pantry has done for the community of Langston University many have decided to help, including professors and student organizations such as Omega Psi Phi fraternity and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Ericka Washington, senior business administration major and treasurer of Delta Sigma Theta said, “The JC Pantry was a great idea started by students on our campus. I feel like we must support our peers so people will continue to want to do good things for Langston. Being as we were founded in service, we just wanted to be able to serve our LU community in a small way by donating to Jada and Jaren’s vision.”
The pantry is filled with donations every first of the month. When they receive cash donations, the founders of JC Pantry go to the store once a month to purchase supplies. They then organize the goods and essentials between the different housing locations. The pantry is stocked with food items such as canned goods, microwaveable items, and some drinks as well as other products that include deodorant, toothpaste and much more. Through this “trade for trade” process students are pouring into each other in the most positive way. Carthra, one of the founders of the JC Pantry, said it exists to “Help students and students help each other.”
If you are interested in donating, you may drop off food items or essentials to your preferred pantry located at either Scholars, Centennial or Young Hall, or Cash App $JCPantry. For more information on how to help or donate contact Jaren Carthra and Jada Celestine by email at Jada.Celestine@langston.edu or Jcartha@langston.edu.
De Asia Montgomery
Staff Writer
De Asia Montgomery is a senior broadcast journalism major
Story ideas, opinion editorials, calendar events and advertising requests can be sent to dthom34@langston.edu. You may follow The Gazette on Instagram @lu_gazette.
The Gazette serves as the student voice of Langston University. It is produced within the Department of Communication as a teaching tool and local news source for the campus community. The views and opinions expressed within are those of the writers whose names appear with the articles and do not necessarily represent the views of Langston University.
