In celebration of the U of A Homecoming 2024, the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry is kicking off its eighth annual Pack the Pantry Drive!

The drive will be running from today, Monday, Sept. 23, through Wednesday, Oct. 9. In 2023, the Food Pantry collected over 8,800 goods. The pantry serves hundreds of clients each month, so they need your help to restock our shelves. Full Circle relies on donations to feed clients, and Pack the Pantry is the largest donation event of the year!

Use this form to Adopt the Pantry and start a donation drive with your organization!

To make the drive run efficiently, we will have time slots available for individuals and organizations to drop donations off at our space. Physical donations can also be made inside the following:

• Harmon Parking Garage,
• The Information Desk inside the Arkansas Union and
• Multiple other locations around campus with a black Pack the Pantry bin.

Additionally, you can visit the Full Circle Food Pantry Amazon Wishlist, which will ship donations directly to our office! If you would like to make a monetary donation, go to the U of A Online Giving Site and Select "Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry" to donate! 

Our most commonly distributed items include:

• Canned meat (tuna, chicken, pork and beans)
• Canned beans (pinto, black and kidney)
• Canned fruit and vegetables 
• Peanut butter
• Jelly
• Granola bars
• Laundry detergent pods
• Hygiene products

To find more information about the Pack the Pantry Drive, follow our Facebook page. If you or your organization would like to participate, email our food drives coordinator at fcdrives@uark.edu for more information and to set up a time to drop your donations by! Follow @uavac on Instagram to stay up to date with our Pack the Pantry activities!

The Volunteer Action Center is a student-led organization that connects students at the U of A to service opportunities on and off campus. The center seeks to foster a positive relationship between students at the U of A and the Northwest Arkansas community through its six signature programs: Be B.O.L.D., Dream B.I.G., the Jane B. Gearhart Food Circle Food Pantry, Passionate About Literacy, Razorback Food Recovery and Student Engagement. Learn more by visiting volunteer.uark.edu or @uavac on Instagram.