For students struggling financially at the University of Wisconsin–Stout, Helping Hand is the place to go. Helping Hand offers food, clothing and school supplies to students in need. It was created by Sarah Snyder, a residence life coordinator in Red Cedar and South Hall.

Helping Hand opened on Apr. 2, 2019. “I saw a need for it on campus and started to make a push for it, and here we are,” Snyder said.

The pantry offers perishable and non-perishable food, school supplies and hygiene items. This includes around 90 boxes of hot chocolate given by the Dean’s Office. There is also a career closet where students can either rent or keep clothing.

The career closet currently offers professional attire. According to Snyder, this is for students that need to attend the Career Conference or a job interview but can’t afford the clothes. The closet will soon have a dressing room, graduation gowns, and winter coats.

Since Helping Hand was created, it has served 23 different students. It has also given out over 300 pounds of food.

“As a residence life coordinator, I had students that would come to me—or their RA—and ask: ‘You know, I’m hungry. I don’t have money. Where can I get some food?’ And we didn’t have an answer for them,” Snyder said. “And that wasn’t good enough for me.”

Donations of all sorts are welcome at Helping Hand. If students wish to help, clothes or unexpired food can be taken to the pantry’s location during its hours. Donators can also email foodpantry@uwstout.edu to set up a different meeting time. Helping Hand also has a Stout Foundation account where money can be donated.

“We’re here if you’re having a week where you’re short on money, and you need some food … or if it’s an everyday occurence for you … that’s what we’re here for,” Snyder said, “Please come see us and take what you need, because I don’t want [a lack of] food … to be the reason a student can’t stay at Stout or isn’t successful here.”

Helping Hand is located on the fourth floor of Bowman Hall behind the Zen Zone. It is open Tuesday 2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., Wednesday 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and Thursday 2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. To ask any other questions, students can email foodpantry@uwstout.edu.

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