As the October 1, 2025, federal government shutdown stretched from days to weeks, one consequence was the disruption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments to more than 42 million people in the United States. But while food insecurity was fast becoming a national issue, students at Baylor University could rely on the many initiatives available for those in need.
Tre’ Baldwin is the assistant director over basic needs and financial wellness at Baylor University. “What that means is I oversee The Store — our on-campus food pantry — and other initiatives to provide for students in need,” he said. “We also provide professional attire for students interviewing for a new career, any necessary regalia for graduation, and scrubs for anyone who needs them for medical tuition. We want to create a wraparound service that encompasses all their needs. And I really do think we’re making a difference.”
A Resource for All: The Store
The Store was created in spring 2018, and Baylor students can sign up to shop for free groceries, household supplies, and personal hygiene products.
“We’ve had to move The Store twice because it keeps getting bigger,” said J. Wesley Null, vice provost for undergraduate education and academic affairs at Baylor. “Tre’ is a great leader. He’s even set up a system whereby students can get their food after hours if they can’t make it during the day. He has lockers set up on campus so that students can make their food order online, and then pick it up at night from a designated locker.”
“It’s an exciting achievement,” Null continued. “We’ve gone from zero dollars in a dorm-style fridge in a faculty member’s office giving out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to an organization that has a $5 million endowment and multiple dedicated staff.”
Another initiative in the fight against food insecurity has been the produce grown at two Baylor Community Gardens, in partnership with the Sustainable Common Regenerative Agriculture Project (SCRAP), a collective formed between Baylor, the city of Waco, and the local community. Hundreds of pounds of fresh produce are delivered to The Store every semester, and also to the local community.
Our Free Farmer’s Market
The Free Farmers Market was created in fall 2016 and now takes place twice a year, during the fall and spring semesters.
“We work with Chartwells, who manages our on-campus dining, and the folks at the Central Texas Food Bank,” Baldwin said. “We just finished our fall market, and we had more than 2,800 students there lining up for fresh vegetables and fruit.”
All Baylor students are welcome to free snacks from the seven little pantries across campus. Part of The Fridge project, students can get a quick snack, drinks, microwaveable meals, or a pastry.
“They’ve been very successful, and I’m hearing a lot of interest about opening more of them in new locations,” he continued. “We also have the Daily Bread Café, serving $2 meals. Very healthy and very tasty.”
Bringing It All Back to the Classrooms
The Student Food Security Council is a student-led organization on campus. Its job is to identify which students are food-insecure, decide which initiatives should expand to ensure that all students have their food needs met, and to advocate on behalf of the students when needed.
“They partnered with Chartwells to recover more than 600 pounds of food that is used to stock The Store. Without their efforts, that food would otherwise have been thrown away,” said Dr. Jeremy Everett, founder and executive director of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty.
“We’re also incorporating our learnings into the classroom,” Everett added. “We have a Master of Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice, which allows students to learn how to address food security in a systemic way. So, we’re not just taking care of the day-to-day needs of students, but we’re investing in the next generation of leaders who will hopefully end hunger in their lifetimes.”
Fighting Food Insecurity
The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty team has almost 8o staff members, interns, and researchers who have assisted community, state, and national efforts to alleviate food insecurity through innovative research-based interventions.
“I am so impressed with how well the Baylor community — whether students, faculty, or administrators — is pitching in to ensure that everyone has their food needs met so they can flourish as God intended,” Everett said.
“We all know that too many college students — not just at Baylor, but anywhere — can’t afford food or don’t have stable housing, and that will impact their ability to stay in school,” he added. “At Baylor, we’re trying to be strategic, reducing as many barriers as we can so students can stay in school and graduate. When you get that graduate degree, it not only changes your life, but can transform the lives of your family for generations.”
