R’Pantry celebrates 10 years with a party and fancy new ride

About 600 UC Riverside students, faculty, staff, and community organizers attended the 10-year-anniversary celebration for Basic Needs R’Pantry on Jan. 30. The four-hour event included speeches, recognitions, and a ribbon cutting for a recently donated delivery truck packed with pantry essentials.

Since 2015, R’Pantry has provided free non-perishable food, personal hygiene, household care, and childcare products to undergraduate and graduate students in need. This long run has been made possible by continuous support from the campus community, local stores, and non-profit organizations.

Vice Chancellor of Health Well-being & Safety Denise Woods welcomed the crowd by reflecting on some of 2015’s memorable moments, like “Fast & Furious 7” being the top movie and President Barack Obama holding office.

“Many things have changed in 10 years but one thing that has remained consistent has been UCR’s commitment to supporting student who are dealing with basic-needs challenges,” Woods said.

Attendees of the event enjoyed selfies with Scotty Bear, music from KUCR, and free food from Dining. Basic Needs gifted sweaters to anyone who donated 10 items at the event, resulting in 3,157 pounds of food being collected. And over 150 students received free groceries at a pop-up pantry inside the event.

“Thanks to the dedication of our R’Pantry team and the generosity of our community, this program continues to grow to meet the moment, serving a growing number of students in an impactful and important way,” Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Watkins said.

The community partners recognized with plaques were, Karol Kares Nancy’s Here, Grocery Outlet East Riverside, Smart n’ Final No. 316, Feeding America Riverside & San Bernardino, Stater Bros. No. 114, and Stater Bros. Charities.

Among Highlander staff and faculty credited with creating R’Pantry during the event were Daniel Lopez Salas, Ana Coria, Estella Acuna, Dana Simmons, and Nichole Sparks. The crowd also applauded the many student volunteers.

R’Pantry Milestones

R’Pantry is created in 2015 by student activists who organize the first donation drive.
R’Pantry hires a full-time coordinator in 2016.
UCR becomes the first UC campus to accept EBT in 2017.
R’Pantry is housed inside The Well in 2018-19.
R’Pantry gets a new supervising department when Basic Needs is established in 2020. It also pivots to a fully mobile drive-up distribution system to provide students with essentials during the pandemic.
R’Pantry is housed in Costo Hall in 2021.
R’pantry moves to the Highlander Union Building in 2022.
R’Pantry gets a walk-in fridge in 2023, allowing staff to safely stock dairy, produce, and ready-to-eat meals for longer.
R’Pantry launches its Highlanders for Hunger Giving Tuesday campaign in 2024 and collects over $60K, which will provide 30K meals to students. It also opens the satellite R' Pantry location at the Student Health Center.
R’Pantry is awarded a $70K box truck by Stater Bros. Charities in 2025 after University Advancement helps them complete the grant application. The truck features a liftgate and backup camera, allowing staff to transport larger amounts of goods safely, and is wrapped with UCR branding. The truck was packed with over $5,000 worth of donations from Stater Bros. suppliers.

R’Pantry coordinator Remi Rodriguez, who will be driving the truck along with other staff, said, “We currently get 125-175 visits per operational day, and acquiring this truck makes it easier to accommodate last-minute food runs and changes to schedules throughout the year.”