The Associated Students, Inc. Food Pantry held its grand opening in the North Yosemite Lobby on Sept. 15.

The Sacramento State Food Pantry is a campus organization that collects donated food and items for students in need.

ASI President Melissa Bardo said that last week President Robert Nelsen and his wife donated over $1,000 to ASI’s Food Pantry. The president and his wife, Jodi, were invited to the grand opening to cut the ribbon.

Nelsen spoke of the importance of the cause, then ended his speech by saying, “Lets go in, celebrate it and cut that ribbon. Sac State is number one, stingers up!”

Davin Brown, the director of Student Engagement and Outreach explained that the Food Pantry is run almost entirely on donations, and how it is an important cause because many students will go throughout the day without eating.

“Through the development of the Food Pantry, it’s become quite obvious that we are a community that is committed to making sure that our students are as successful as they possibly can be,” Brown said.

Bardo said food insecurity has been an overlooked issue and, “the Food Pantry was started from a simple idea from our 2013-2014 ASI Executive Vice President Erica Brown.”

ASI accepts any food and toiletry donations. Students may visit the pantry once a week with a valid OneCard. Each student is allotted 16 points for each visit and points are broken up depending on the item.

The Food Pantry is located in Yosemite Hall, room 163.