All systems are a go for Western Nevada Colleges Food and Hygiene Pantry the Wildcat Reserve to begin helping students and their families overcome food insecurity.

Students are now able to fill out the necessary forms on the website and receive their orders through curbside pickup on Thursdays.

Our ordering process will be done hands-free, said WNC Student Life Coordinator Heather Rikalo. Students will need to fill out an intake form, one time per semester, prior to utilizing the pantry.Once we receive the intake form, they can fill out an order form, which will be availableonline.

According to Rikalo, orders will be filled on Wednesdays and those orders can be picked up curbside the following day. Orders received after the cutoff time will be available to be picked up the following week. Students will be able to order one time per week. The completed order form will need to be emailed to the Student Life email address at studentlife@wnc.edu.

Curbside pickup will take place in the parking lot outside of the Student Center entrance on Thursdays. When students arrive to pick up an order, they will park in a designated spot, call the Student Life Desk (775-445-3218) and inform the student worker of their name and the spot where they are parked. Once they have checked in, Student Life will deliver their order to that parking spot.

The pantry will help the neediest students engage in meaningful learning while they are attending WNC so they wont be preoccupied with worries of when they will eat next. This need was revealed during a 2020 student survey.

Donations from NV Energy, Visiting Angels and University Police Services helped Student Life prepare and stock the pantry to serve students. However, nonperishable food donations and hygiene items are still being accepted, as well as monetary donations.

To access the necessary forms to begin using the pantry, students need to go to https://www.wnc.edu/wildcat-life/food-pantry/.