When Support Matters Most: Inside Muskingum’s Tackle Box

At first glance, a campus pantry might seem like a quiet corner of university life-shelves stocked, doors open, help offered without fanfare. But at Muskingum, the campus pantries - collectively known as The Tackle Box - represent something much larger: a shared commitment to meeting students where they are, ensuring that no one has to choose between their education and their basic needs.

The Tackle Box reflects the idea of equipping students with the essentials they need to succeed. Within it are clearly identified pantries for food, clothing, and bare necessities, intentionally structured to reduce confusion and increase awareness of what support is available to all students, residential and commuters alike.

When people hear campus pantry, they often think only of food. But Sarah Dickson, Director of the Student Health Center, says "Our pantries are intentionally named and structured to reflect what students actually need-food, clothing, hygiene items, and everyday essentials. And they're available to all students, residential and commuters."

That intentional approach is echoed across campus. For Chaplain Derek Wadlington, the pantries are an extension of Muskingum's mission to care for the whole person. "Students come to college carrying far more than backpacks and textbooks," he says. "They bring their full lives with them-financial pressures, family responsibilities, uncertainty, and sometimes unmet basic needs. The pantries exist so those challenges don't stand in the way of learning."

For many students, the first visit to a pantry doesn't come from a flyer or email-it comes through a relationship. A friend quietly mentions it. A faculty or staff member notices a need. A conversation at the Student Health Center opens the door to additional support.

"Often, a student is here for a health concern, and something else comes up," Dickson explains. "That's when we talk about the pantries-what's available, how to access them. Sometimes another staff member will call us directly because they know a student needs help. It's very much a campus-wide effort."

That sense of trust is critical, Wadlington adds, especially as students navigate the vulnerability of asking for help. "There's still stigma attached to needing assistance, even for essentials everyone uses," he says. "Part of our work is normalizing care-making it clear that needing support is not a failure, but a reality of being human. I tell students that I'm not giving them a handout. I'm investing in their future."

While community resources remain important, both Dickson and Wadlington note that on-campus access removes significant barriers. Students are far more likely to seek help in familiar spaces, especially those without transportation, those far from home, or students navigating independence for the first time.

"Many students arrive having had their health and daily needs managed by a parent or guardian," Dickson says. "When something unexpected happens-an illness, a change in weather, financial stress-they may not know where to turn. Having these resources on campus makes all the difference."

For out-of-state students or those staying on campus during summer months, that difference can be profound. Access to food, clothing, and hygiene items allows students to remain focused on classes, athletics, work, and community life-rather than worrying about how to meet their most basic needs.

The impact of the pantries isn't only practical-it's deeply personal. Dickson points to the confidence that comes from something as simple as clean clothes or personal care items. "When you have what you need to feel good about yourself-shampoo, deodorant, laundry detergent-it affects how you see yourself and how you show up in the world."

Wadlington sees the same transformation. "When students know they're not alone, that someone cares enough to provide quietly and consistently, it changes how they experience this place," he says. "They feel seen. They feel supported. And that sense of belonging is powerful."

One moment early in the pantry's development made that reality especially clear. A student came to the Health Center sick-and without a coat or basic clothing they needed. The ability to meet those needs immediately, Dickson recalls, underscored how often health, dignity, and daily necessities intersect.

"These situations happen more often than people realize," she says. "It's comforting to know we can help in more than one way."

The pantries are sustained not by one office, but by a network of care across campus and beyond. Physical Plant Services staff collect usable items left behind. Faculty and staff donate coats and high-need supplies. Students volunteer locally, including Muskingum's STUNT team, which serves monthly at the College Drive Presbyterian Church food pantry. The food pantry is managed by the John and Annie Glenn Public Service Fellows. Alumni and friends continue to give generously.

"It truly takes a village," Dickson says. "The generosity of the Muskingum community-on campus and beyond-gives me hope for the future of this program. Basic needs will always exist. What matters is that we remain aware of them and committed to supporting one another."

For Wadlington, that collective response reflects Muskingum's values in action. "This is what educating the whole person looks like," he says. "Not just preparing students for careers, but for life-by showing them what care, compassion, and community truly mean."