Everybody knows the trope of the broke college student. That’s why university campuses are littered with opportunities for free stuff: t-shirts, pizza, other memorabilia. Brands giving out cheap trinkets with their logos and slogans plastered on them. I’ve even seen temperature-activated color-change plastic cups.
Most of the time, though, we don’t think of these free opportunities on campus as real assistance. Sure, a free shirt or two is nice, and who’s going to turn down free pizza? However, these opportunities aren’t going to help students make ends meet.
Cue The Rack. The Rack is an anonymous food pantry tucked away in the back of the Mountainlair, West Virginia University’s student union. All of the products available come from donations and grants, and any student at the university is welcome to help themselves.
“Any WVU student can come obtain products from The Rack,” said Aimee Williams, Administrative Secretary for WVU’s Office of Student Engagement and Leadership. “It’s free to all students.
Many food assistance programs are need-based, meaning only certain people qualify to use the program. The Rack, however, is not need-based. The only requirement to utilize the service is a short intake form.
“There’s so many things here on campus that’s based on regulation,” Caleah Wells, the Rack’s graduate assistant, said. “I don’t think numbers particularly show always what a person’s need might be.”
The Rack uses an honor system rather than an algorithm to provide food access for students. Users of the Rack can go in whenever it’s open and take what they need. They’re encouraged to be respectful of other users and only take what they need, but no one logs how much they take or decides how much they need.
In addition to food, the Rack provides other necessities. There’s everything from razors to deodorant to diapers available for users at the Rack.
“All the students seem to really and truly appreciate the Rack,” Williams said.
