TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) \u2014 Florida State University received a $1 million donation from Brian and Kathryn Ballard to expand the Food for Thought Pantry; the pantry works to reduce food insecurity among local students.<\/p>\n
This is the largest one-time donation to FSU Student Affairs in history.The Food for Thought pantry has been serving students since 2009.Watch the video below to hear about the impact of this donation.<\/p>\n
Florida State University receives $1 million donation to expand food pantry for students<\/p>\n
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:<\/p>\n
Florida State University is getting a major boost in its effort to support students facing food insecurity. <\/p>\n
A $1 million donation will go toward expanding and improving the school\u2019s Food for Thought Pantry. <\/p>\n
I\u2019m Justin White, your College Town Neighborhood Reporter, with how the funding will help students now and in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an amazing opportunity to take a program that has been serving thousands of students with kind of a bare bones budget situation and to be able to take those facilities and majorly upgrade them, make them more efficient, focus more on cleanliness, get a beautiful place that looks like the rest of Florida State University. It\u2019s really, really going to expand our capacity to do this meaningful work here,\u201d said Hal Gentile, the Assistant Dean of FSU’s Basic Needs Program.<\/p>\n
Brian Ballard and his wife, Kathryn, an FSU alumna and Board of Trustees member, donated $1 million to FSU\u2019s Food for Thought Pantry, the largest gift ever to Student Affairs.<\/p>\n
With nearly 45% of college students nationwide facing food insecurity, according to a recent American College Health Association survey, the pantry saw almost a 58% increase in students served this past year. <\/p>\n
Amy Hecht, the Vice President of Student Affairs at FSU, told me why this program and donation mean so much.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a family at Florida State. We want to take care of all of our students, and we know you can\u2019t be successful academically if you\u2019re hungry or if you\u2019re worried about where you\u2019re going to get your next meal. And what we try to make sure that all of our students have what they need to be successful,\u201d said Hecht.<\/p>\n
And Hal Gentile, the Assistant Dean of Basic Needs Programs at FSU who runs the pantry, left a message for students who may be facing these problems alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing a lot with what we have, but we\u2019re gonna do even more with this generous gift from the Ballard. And if you need support if you\u2019re struggling, if you don\u2019t know how you\u2019re going to pay your bills, if you\u2019ve been making trade-offs between one bill or another, if you\u2019ve been cutting how much food you\u2019re eating, please come seek us out and be part of this wonderful community of support,\u201d said Gentile.<\/p>\n
University leaders say the upgrades will allow the pantry to accept more donations and serve a growing number of students in a more welcoming space. <\/p>\n
From Florida State University, I’m Justin White, ABC 27<\/p>\n
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website. <\/a><\/p>\n Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.<\/p>\n Like us on Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us on Instagram <\/a>and X.<\/a><\/p>\n