Items Available at the Pantry

The items available at the Food Pantry vary and are subject to change from day to day. If you'd like to ask whether we have a particular item in stock, feel free to call us any time during operating hours at 319-335-2706! If we're too busy and unable to answer, leave a voicemail with your question. We'll try to call back with an answer as soon as possible!

We generally have the following types of items in stock:

• Fresh Food: Produce, bread, baked goods, tortillas, milk, eggs
• Dry and Canned Goods: Dry beans, pasta, canned soup, canned beans, canned vegetables, canned fruit
• Personal Care: Floss, deodorant, soap, toothpaste, toilet paper
• Menstrual Products: Tampons, sanitary pads
• Baby Supplies: Diapers, baby wipes

To receive items, stop by the Food Pantry (room G200 in the IMU) during open hours. To learn more, see our FAQs.

Rules for Clients of the Food Pantry

1. Eligibility

   The Food Pantry is available to anyone with a valid Iowa One Card. This includes University of Iowa students, faculty, and staff, as well as retired faculty and staff.

2. Check-In Requirement

   Upon arrival, clients must scan their Iowa One Card at the kiosk located at the front of the pantry. This helps us track overall pantry usage so we can improve our services in the future. If a client does not have their Iowa One Card on them, they may sign in using their HawkID or University ID Number.

3. Shopping on Behalf of Someone Else

   If a University of Iowa student, faculty member, or staff member is unable to come into the pantry to shop for themselves, they may send a friend, family member, or partner to shop on their behalf. When shopping for someone else, the shopper may not sign in using the cardholder’s HawkID or University ID Number. Instead, the shopper must physically present the cardholder’s Iowa One Card. Photos or screenshots of the card will not be accepted. We treat possession of the physical card as proof that the cardholder has authorized that person to shop on their behalf.

4. Weekly Usage Limit

   Each Iowa One Card (and its associated HawkID and University ID Number) may be used to access the pantry once per school week. Since a school week runs from Monday through Friday, pantry access therefore resets every Monday rather than exactly seven days after a visit. For example, if a client shops on Friday, they may return the following Monday. If a client shops on Tuesday, however, they must wait until the next Monday to use the same card again. Multiple check-ins using the same Iowa One Card within the same school week are not permitted.

5. Item Limits

   All pantry items should have a clearly posted limit nearby. These limits are intended to ensure fair access to food for all pantry users. Item limits are tied to each Iowa One Card. When shopping using one card, the posted limit represents the maximum amount a client may take, even if the food is intended for more than one person. To illustrate how this works, consider the example of two roommates who are both eligible pantry users. If the posted limit on bananas is four:

   • One roommate shopping alone using only their own card may take up to four bananas total, even if the food is intended for both roommates.
   • One roommate shopping using both their card and their roommate’s may take up to eight bananas, though they must conduct two separate transactions in which they only check out a maximum of four.
   • Both roommates shopping using their own cards may check out up to four bananas each, obtaining a maximum of eight for their household.

6. Requests for Limit Exemptions

   All clients must follow posted item limits. Clients requesting an exemption due to a medical-, religious- or ethics-based dietary restriction must speak with a pantry volunteer each time they wish to exceed a limit. For example, a client with celiac disease must request permission from a volunteer on each visit to receive additional gluten-free items.

7. Shopping Carts and Multiple Cards

   Each person who scans into the pantry must use a pantry-provided shopping cart to collect their items. For each checkout, clients may not take more items than can fit into a single cart. If a client is shopping using more than one Iowa One Card at the same time, items associated with each card must be kept in different carts and checked out separately.

8. Checkout Process

   Before leaving, all clients must check out at the pantry’s checkout station. A volunteer will ask how many people the client is shopping for and will weigh their cart to track pantry usage and food distribution. Once checkout is complete, the client may leave with their items.

9. Bags

   Clients are encouraged to bring their own bags to carry items out of the pantry. If that’s not possible, the pantry usually has bags available for clients to take.