Rams Resource Center adjusts hours, expands outreach during staffing transition

By Wenchell Pierre

Staff Writer

The Rams Resource Center (RRC)  is navigating a semester of transition as the University works to fill its vacant coordinator position while demand for basic needs support remains steady.

With student workers covering limited operating hours, administrators say the Center is working to stabilize operations, strengthen partnerships, and expand outreach.

Since former coordinator Olivia Fenty left in August to pursue her doctorate, Assistant Dean of Students Jay Hurtubise has assumed responsibility for the RRC’s day-to-day operations. 

Due to staffing shortages that directly shape the Center’s weekly schedule, “Right now, it’s open four days a week at various times,” Hurtubise said. Because no student workers are available on Wednesdays, the pantry remains closed that day. Hours this semester have been 2 to 5 p.m. on Mondays, 12 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, and 2:30 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays.

The Rams Resource Center also remains accessible during academic break periods, though with reduced operations. Hurtubise said the Center's hours are determined by student worker availability. When the pantry is not regularly staffed, students can still access services by appointment through the Dean of Students Office.

“If somebody really needed access to something, they could always call our office,” Hurtubise said. “We’ll figure out when one of our professional staff would be able to come down and assist.”

The pantry employs four work-study students and one intern.

Junior Madison Belanger, a psychology major and four-semester employee of the RRC, said many students have difficulty even locating the pantry. “Many students struggle finding our location since it was hidden underneath West, next to the Maynard parking lot,” she said. “Students also claim they had no idea we existed or that we are open to all students, including commuters.”

Belanger’s responsibilities include organizing inventory, checking out items, recording fridge temperatures, collecting donations across campus, and logging data into the pantry software. She said the most requested items include toilet paper, deodorant, laundry detergent, utensils, and grab-and-go snacks like granola bars and microwaveable meals.

Working at the RRC has reshaped her understanding of basic needs insecurity on campus. “It reminds me that you never know who may have food insecurities,” she said. “Many people go unnoticed when in reality they are struggling on the inside.” 

Belanger said the most rewarding part of her job is the community she found. “I was fortunate enough to have made a large variety of friends from working at the RRC.” 

Senior Zelinda DaSilva, a health and wellness major and current intern, said shifts begin with collecting donations from multiple sites across campus. “Once the items are at the resource center, my main responsibility is to take inventory of all the donations,” she said. She also organizes shelves and rings out students after they shop.

DaSilva said one of the biggest misunderstandings is the item limits placed on pantry goods. “We have to set moderations to make sure our stock stays available for everyone who visits since we rely on donations,” she said. High-demand items include peanut butter, cereal, milk, snack bars, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products.

She said working at the RRC has shown her how strongly basic needs affect academic success. “It is very hard for students to focus on schoolwork when they are worried about basic needs like food or housing,” she said. The most fulfilling part of her job is seeing students supported.

“When students come in and the shelves are full, it makes them happy, and I like seeing that.” DaSilva said she hopes the Center can secure “more reliable funding so we don't run out of popular items as often.”

Hurtubise said the University is also preparing to hire new support staff. “We are also hiring for a dedicated pantry manager,” he said. The new 20-hour-per-week contract manager will coordinate volunteers and supervise student workers.

Hurtubise emphasized that sustaining the pantry depends on a broad network of partners. “It takes a village,” he said. 

Stop & Shop donates approximately $7,500 each fall along with additional in-kind contributions through fundraising programs such as Blooming for Good.

Sodexo donates annually and runs the Good Vibe Food Drive, placing donation bins around campus and offering a QR code for students to donate meal swipes. 

Circle of Hope provides toiletries and bedding, while Dignity Matters supplies menstrual products.

Hurtubaise said popular pantry items include cereal, shelf-stable milk, chips, crackers, peanut butter, and jelly. “Students generally use it to supplement their needs.”

Staff and commuters also use the pantry, particularly for staples such as grains, pasta, and toiletries.

Hurtubise said pantry use “has been fairly stable” since 2022, although there was a small dip during the transition following Fenty’s departure.

 He said he anticipates a rising need for the Center because of demographic changes. “Now, we're about 50% Pell eligible … and we've seen a rise in need,” he said.

The Center’s experience reflects a national trend. According to the Hope Center for Student Basic Needs at Temple University, nearly three in five college students surveyed across 91 institutions reported experiencing at least one form of basic needs insecurity in the 2023–24 academic year. The Hope Center also reports many students do not seek assistance, meaning actual need is often higher than recorded.

Along with food assistance, the RRC connects students to local partners for housing and financial support. The South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) collaborates with the Department of Higher Education’s housing scholarship, which designates 10 beds for Framingham State and MassBay students experiencing homelessness. “The University provides their meal plan. … SMOC provides wrap-around services,” Hurtubise said.

The Center also partners with TEMPO, run through Wayside Youth & Families, to support students ages 18 to 25 who may need emergency housing, counseling, life-skills coaching, or financial assistance. “They often can get students into housing programs that include coaching, life skills … fairly quickly whenever they can,” Hurtubise said.

With staff transitions underway, Hurtubise said improving communication will be a central focus moving forward. “We’ll have more of an active presence on the RRC FSU Instagram page and more cross-posting with FSU365,” he said. He added SGA played a greater role in promoting the Donate-a-Meal initiative as part of the fall Good Vibe Food Drive.

The Rams Resource Center Advisory Board, once active before the pandemic, has also been revived. “We’ve brought in a bunch of folks who are serving on the board to talk more about the direction of the RRC, establishing new partnerships … and finding more opportunities for campaigns and drives,” Hurtubise said.

While Sodexo staff say the Donate-a-Meal program remains underused, they believe renewed outreach and social media presence may boost participation. “A lot of them … they're not following us on social media,” said Unit Coordinator Sheila Lindsey.

Sodexo’s Leah Forristall, a registered dietitian, said the Donate-a-Meal program predates Sodexo’s current dining model and was available during her undergraduate years. “When I was a student here, we had it, and I graduated in 2017,” she said, noting that visibility has long been an issue. She added recent discussions concerning SNAP eligibility and food bank use have encouraged more students to participate.

Michael Newmark, Sodexo’s general manager, said awareness, not participation, is the biggest obstacle facing Donate-a-Meal.

“The biggest barrier is visibility,” Newmark said. “We need to increase marketing and communications so students better understand that the program exists and how easy it is to use.”

Currently, Donate-a-Meal is promoted through Sodexo’s website, Framingham.sodexomyway.com, as well as during presentations to students and University departments.

The program is also highlighted during Fight Hunger campaigns and University food drives through tabling events in the Dining Commons. Still, Newmark said these efforts have not always reached students consistently.

“I think it could expand through University communications and campus-wide emails,” he said.

Students with meal plans can donate by visiting the Sodexo website and selecting the Donate-a-Meal option under the “Shop” tab. Newmark emphasized that the shift to an all-day dining model has not changed how the donation system operates and that guidelines remain clearly outlined online.

“We are proud to offer and be a part of this important initiative,” Newmark said, adding one misconception he hopes to clarify is students both need and actively use the program.

On the marketing side, Taylor Royal, a Framingham State student and Sodexo marketing specialist, said Donate-a-Meal has become more visible in recent months as Sodexo has collaborated more closely with the Dean of Students office and the Rams Resource Center.

“Our current communication strategies have included on-campus tablings in collaboration with SGA and the Rams Resource Center,” Royal said. “That allowed students to learn about food insecurity and how they can get involved.”

Royal said the program is also advertised on Sodexo’s dining website under the “Gifts & More” tab, but she acknowledged that students can struggle to find information amid the volume of digital messaging on campus.

“There’s so much information that it can get overwhelming,” Royal said. “There’s also a digital divide when we rely only on online platforms.”

She said a combination of social media messaging and in-person outreach has proven most effective, particularly tabling events that allow for direct engagement. Looking ahead, Royal said Sodexo plans to continue working with the Rams Resource Center during resource drives and to expand outreach efforts in the spring.

For student workers like Belanger, visibility is key.

“More flyers, more events, more reminders,” she said. “That’s how students will know we’re here.”

Senior Christian Acuna, health and wellness major, said awareness of the Rams Resource Center and its associated programs is limited among students. He first learned about the pantry through a culinary course rather than a campus-wide outreach effort.

He added the Donate-a-Meal program “needs to be advertised better.”

While Acuna said he follows Sodexo Dining communications, he does not regularly engage with other campus information channels such as FSU365 or SGA. He described current outreach concerning food insecurity resources as ineffective. 

Senior Arlington Paul, a business management major, said he has used the Rams Resource Center when his access to everyday necessities was limited.

Paul said he first learned about the Center through a friend who graduated last spring rather than through campus outreach. He said he has visited the pantry multiple times, primarily for toiletries. 

He said, “Whenever I run out or am about to run out of toiletries and don’t have the ability to travel to any stores nearby, I go to the Resource Center.”