Virginia Commonwealth University’s Little Ram Pantries

Program Description:  

The Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) Little Ram Pantries provide free food and personal care essentials to learners on both of their campuses across 15 individual locations. The Little Ram Pantries are an extension of the original Ram Pantry which started in 2014 and serves as a campus-wide food pantry. Within the pantries, learners can find shelf-stable snacks, grab and go items, canned goods, non-perishable items, personal hygiene products, and rotating items depending on the time of year and learner requests. 

The Little Ram Pantries were awarded the University’s Health Equity Grant to launch the project in partnership with the Office of Community-Engaged Research, the Office of Service-Learning, VCU Life Sciences, the Ram Pantry, and the Division of Student Affairs.  

One unique element of the Little Ram Pantries is the implementation of a magnetic sensor system which provides time-stamped photos every time a little pantry door opens, allowing learners to view real-time photos of pantry contents before visiting.  

Impact:  

Unfortunately, over 35 percent of students at VCU struggle with food insecurity, affecting not only their physical and mental health, but also their academic performance. By eliminating concern over food insecurity, the pantries allow learners to focus on their education. From 2020-2024, over 5,000 learners visited a Little Ram Pantry, with around 700-800 visits each semester. The wide scale use of the pantries and frequent restocking helps normalize food insecurity on campus and encourage the idea that food is a human right, all while combating the problem by providing a wide array of free food options for learners. 

Population Served:  

Any learner enrolled at VCU can access the pantries. Use of the pantries is kept anonymous. 

Learn more here. 

Page last updated in August 2026