Several offices across the Mount St. Mary’s University Emmitsburg campus have joined to open Mount Table, a supplemental food resource on campus. Mount Table, launched at the beginning of this month, seeks to reduce food insecurity on campus. The initiative is being supported by the Office of Social Justice, Center for Campus Ministry, Center for Student Involvement and Belonging, Office of Campus Recreation and Mount CARiTAS.
President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., charged a Food Insecurity Taskforce with researching and developing a variety of strategic solutions to address food insecurity at the Mount in response to a 2020 study conducted by Associate Professor of Sociology Layton Field, Ph.D., and others, showing many Mount undergraduate students are considered food insecure.
Mount Table provides prepackaged bags of food to students at no cost between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students can visit twice a week, and the bags have items to last two to three days. The process is simple – students visit Mount Table, located in Lower McGowan 107, complete the short access survey, and then walk in and grab a bag. The process takes less than five minutes. Participation will remain strictly confidential. All faculty, administrators, staff and students involved in the program have signed nondisclosure agreements protecting the identity of student participants.
What is Mount Table?
A free supplemental food resource available to all students.
Where is Mount Table?
Lower McGowan 107 (next to the SGA office)
How do students access the resource?
The process takes less than five minutes.
How can you help?
Volunteers! Volunteers are welcome. Reach out to mountcaritas@msmary.edu to learn more about how to can support this program.
Donations! Non-perishable items to help stock the pantry are welcome throughout the year. Suggested items include:
Donations can be dropped off in the Office of Social Justice in Lower McGowan.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this program, contact Layton Field at LField@msmary.edu.