Bowie State University Opens Food Pantry Lounge That Feeds Students For Free
BOWIE, Md. (WJZ) — Bowie State University, working with Food Lion, announced Monday it is opening a new on-campus nutrition lounge supplying free and healthy foods.
Through Food Lion Feeds, the retailer donated $10,000 to get the space up and running.
"This gift from Food Lion Feeds, along with the ongoing partnership of Food Lion and Capital Area Food Bank, will make an incredible difference for our Bowie State students, who sometimes struggle to afford healthy food options," said Brent Swinton, vice president of institutional advancement. "The Bowie State Nutrition Lounge is emblematic of the university's mission. This campus community provides wraparound support to empower our students to reach their full potential. The nourishment and healthy foods provided in the Nutrition Lounge will empower our students to advance their academic success and personal well-being."
The Bowie State Nutrition Lounge will give students a specific space, especially for commuters, to relax, study and access healthy foods.
The university partnered with a local Food Lion store and Capital Area Food Bank to keep the lounge stocked regularly.
Many of Bowie State's students only eat one meal per day, according to a university press release, so they believe a lounge will allow the students to get a healthy snack during a school day.
This is the sixth space Food Lion Feeds has established at a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association school since 2015.
"As the official Grocery Partner of the CIAA and deeply committed to Bowie and the greater Baltimore community, we're excited to join with Bowie State and help nourish students right on campus," said Jason Bullock, Food Lion director of operations in the Bowie, Md., area. "Students should be focused on learning, not where their next meal will come from. Caring for our neighbors in the towns and cities we serve is important to us, so we're excited about this new space to help nourish the Bowie State community."
