Two food pantries at the University of Southern Maine are launching “Snap into Action,” a campus-wide food drive competition throughout November to address growing food insecurity, at a time when federal SNAP benefits are uncertain, and likely delayed, amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Organized by Sarah Farrugia, the Oakhurst Campus Food Pantry & Food Security Coordinator, and Gina Capra, the Director of USM’s Adult Student Success Center and coordinator of their pantry, the drive invites students, faculty, and staff to form teams, collect food and household items, and compete to see who can contribute the most toward stocking pantry shelves.
When news first circulated that SNAP/EBT benefits might be suspended for November due to the federal government shutdown, the response from the USM community was immediate — students, faculty, and staff reached out to Farrugia and Capra asking how they could best support the food pantries. That outpouring of interest led to the creation of the “SNAP Into Action” food drive.
Both pantries have seen increased need in recent semesters. The Oakhurst Campus Food Pantry provides shelf-stable foods, fresh produce, and basic supplies for USM students, faculty, and staff, while the Adult Student Success Center Pantry extends that support to adult learners balancing classes, jobs, and family responsibilities. Together, they’ve struggled to keep shelves stocked amid rising demand.
Food insecurity affects many students, faculty, and staff across Maine, and this campaign underscores the power of community support. Beyond meeting immediate needs, the effort also highlights the sense of community these spaces foster.
“It’s not always just the food and resources available, but it’s that human connection people are making here, too,” said Farrugia. “Especially coming out of COVID, offering that human connection is really important.”
As the community rallies, organizers are encouraging participants to think beyond the season. While traditional Thanksgiving items are always welcome, the pantries are especially in need of everyday essentials such as canned proteins, pasta, rice, peanut butter, cereal, and shelf-stable milk — items that sustain students and families year-round.
“We want our community to know we’re here and our doors are open,” Farrugia added. “We’re committed to trying to meet people’s needs – or at least be a listening ear if that’s what they need, too.”
Teams participating in “SNAP Into Action” can register online, set up collection boxes, and track their progress via the campus leaderboard. Prizes — including a pizza party and a year-long trophy — await the winning team, but the true reward is seeing shelves restocked and the community united in care.
“While we recognize that this is going to be a really difficult time for our whole community around accessing food resources, food resources do exist at USM and beyond,” said Capra. “We are really working hard to remove any stigma around food insecurity. We understand this is a very real need for our community.”
Click here to learn more about the “SNAP Into Action” Food Drive, register a team, or find the list of most-needed items.
The initiative runs from November 1-25, led in collaboration by the Oakhurst Campus Food Pantry – located in the basement of 102 Bedford Street on the Portland campus – and the Adult Student Success Center Pantry in Room 325 of the Glickman Family Library.
Both pantries are open to anyone with a USM ID card, including students, faculty, staff, and those living on campus.
For questions, contact:
Sarah Farrugia, Campus Food Pantry & Food Security Coordinator – campusfoodpantry@maine.edu
Gina Capra, Director of the Adult Student Success Center – gina.capra@maine.edu | 207-780-4464