Isabelle Nguyen ’27 knows how powerful generosity can be. Nguyen is a food security coordinator for the Pacific Food Pantry, located on University of the Pacific’s Stockton Campus, where she oversees daily operations and welcomes visitors several days a week.

“College is expensive and time-consuming, and many students also worry about whether they can afford their next meal. The food pantry is here to help them,” Nguyen said.

The Pacific Food Pantry is 100% donor-funded, and usage has nearly tripled in the last five years. Pacific encourages alumni and friends to support the pantry Dec. 3 on Giving Tuesday, an annual event that unites people and institutions worldwide with a shared focus on doing good.

“Students face financial challenges year-round, but food insecurity and unpaid bills are especially daunting during the holidays,” said Scott Biedermann ’05, ’20, vice president for development and alumni relations.

“On Giving Tuesday, we can help. By supporting the Pacific Fund or the Pacific Food Pantry, we can ease the burden for students who are wondering where that next meal or unexpected bill payment will come from.”

Observed annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday contrasts its consumption-focused counterparts—Black Friday and Cyber Monday—by encouraging charitable donations, volunteerism and everyday acts of generosity.

This semester alone, the Pacific Food Pantry has been visited nearly 600 times, and qualifying students can now receive monthly support to help with basic needs.

While staffing the pantry, Nguyen often greets international students, graduate students and those looking to supplement their meal plan with a taste of home.

“Many students talk about the different dishes they made using produce from the Robb Garden or how much their kids enjoyed a specific item,” she said. "It’s rewarding to see them utilizing this resource. Seeing empty shelves is a good thing because that means someone has one less meal to worry about.”

On the Sacramento Campus, the McGeorge School of Law is addressing food insecurity with a new campaign launching on Giving Tuesday to establish the Michael and Stacey Hunter Schwartz Virtual Food Pantry Endowed Fund. The campaign honors Dean Michael Hunter Schwartz, who will conclude his tenure as dean in June 2025 and transition to a full-time faculty role.

The virtual Food Pantry provides gift cards to local grocery stores, allowing students to purchase healthy foods to meet their basic needs so they can focus on their education.

Since the program started, McGeorge students have received more than 900 grocery cards totaling over $90,000. Proceeds from the Schwartz Endowment will provide permanent funding to purchase additional grocery cards for students in need.

Gifts to the Michael and Stacey Hunter Schwartz Virtual Food Pantry Endowed Fund can be made online.

To support students on all three of Pacific’s campuses, alumni and friends can contribute to the Pacific Fund, providing financial aid for students and helping with unexpected expenses like bills, medical costs or car repairs. Donors can also make a gift to Pacific Athletics or to their favorite school or college.