Food and Supply Pantry

You can place an order by registering with PantrySoft. Once you complete your registration, you can place an order every other week between Monday and Wednesday. If we have already met capacity for that week, you may not see any available visits.

The Food and Supply Pantry is closed over the Summer and Winter Sessions and during Fall and Spring Breaks. Our services are also closed on federal holidays and during the first week of the semester. 

Email bluehenessentials@udel.edu with any questions or concerns.

In order to continue offering fresh produce and other items we get from the Food Bank of Delaware, we need to ask certain questions that we didn’t ask before. Identifying information is not shared with anyone. Fortunately, we only need you to register once each year.

We value feedback from shoppers who said our previous ordering form was too complicated, too long and oftentimes had a lot of technical difficulties. In an effort to make our shopping experience better, easier and quicker, we moved to a new system, PantrySoft, for the Fall of 2025! We ask that you be patient with our team as we troubleshoot any issues that may arise with the new system. As always, we welcome and value your feedback.

Due to high demand, we are only able to serve 54 students each week. If you are ordering between Monday and Wednesday but do not see any open appointments, we have likely met capacity already. If you are in an emergency and require assistance, please email bluehenessentials@udel.edu.

The Food and Supply Pantry is closed over the Summer and Winter Sessions and during Fall and Spring Breaks. Our services are also closed on federal holidays and during the first week of the semester.

Due to weekly demand, shoppers are limited to ordering once every two weeks.

There is no total limit on how many times you can order from the food and supply pantry.

Each category has limits due to inventory (we are somewhat limited by physical space).

Be mindful of others and of sustainable food usage but we welcome you to order as little or as much as you need.

You will be able to cancel your order; please do so in a timely manner.

Email bluehenessentials@udel.edu to let our team know you would like to cancel your order.

Our exact items may vary, but we aim to always have a variety of canned beans, canned fruits and vegetables, proteins, breakfast items, instant noodles, soups and broths, drinks, snacks, supplies, toiletries and menstrual products. 

You can filter for dietary needs and preferences while shopping using the tags located on the left-hand side of the shopping list. We always recommend that you read the nutrition label and ingredient list of the items you select to ensure that your items are safe to use in case of mislabelling.

We check to ensure all food and supplies are acquired and distributed before their sell by dates.

Most of our items are nonperishables, so generally they are shelf-stable.

We place orders for fresh produce from the Food Bank of Delaware on a weekly basis.

If you are concerned you received an item that has expired, please contact bluehenessentials@udel.edu.

We operate on a first come, first served basis and update our inventory on the order form as we pack bags to ensure availability is communicated clearly

We cannot guarantee all items in your order will be fulfilled, but we will do our best and will notify you by Wednesday, end of day, if we are out of stock or substitute a request with a similar item.

You can only edit your registration page when you are placing an order with us. You can always send our team an email at bluehenessentials@udel.edu and we can make the edit for you, or you can come in person during appointment hours so our team can assist you. 

You pick up your bag at the Center for Intercultural Engagement (CIE) in the Perkins Student Center.

Please note, a bag can be 5-15 lbs!

The CIE is located above the West Lounge on the second floor in Perkins Student Center and is accessible by the stairs and the elevator near the West Lounge and Dunkin Donuts.

Specifically, the CIE is located in Perkins Suite 261 and the food pantry is in room 289. However, please note that you will not be allowed inside the supply room itself..

Once you arrive at the CIE, you can ask the front desk to point you toward the Resource Room (262) or head there yourself! In the Resource Room, a Blue Hen Essentials staff member will ask you to tap your UDID to pull up your order, and you will be good to go! Please remember to treat our student staff with respect, as they may take a moment to find your order. 

As a reminder, pickups will not be permitted before or after appointment hours unless explicitly granted. Email bluehenessentials@udel.edu if you will need to pick up your shopping bag outside of pickup hours. You may be asked to provide context.

If no one is at the front desk, you may ring the bell or follow signs to the staff offices in the back. The Resource Room is directly across from the front desk, so it may be easier to look for the room number: 262.

Physical UDID cards are required to fulfill your order, but we understand that things happen. In the event that you forget to bring your physical card, you can tell the Blue Hen Essentials staff your UDID number.

If your plans change, please let us know as soon as possible via email at bluehenessentials@udel.edu.

We are unable to hold items beyond the pickup day that you select. Your order will be canceled, and you can put in a new order for the following week.

In the event of an emergency, please contact bluehenessentials@udel.edu and we will work with you.

Be mindful, due to the high volume of requests for certain items and our first come, first served policy, we may not be able to fulfill your request.

It is fine if you forget, you will still get your items. We just ask that at some point you bring at least one of the bags back.

If you are interested, there are staircases in the CIE where you can exit the building more privately, just ask an associate to point you in the right direction.

The Food and Supply Pantry is a program that provides ingredients, small meals, kitchen supplies and hygiene products to students for free in order to combat food insecurity and the effects of poverty on UD students.

We require personal information in our registration in order to send confirmations and instructions, and to match orders to packed bags at pickup, but your full UDID remains visible only to the Blue Hen Essentials Team and is anonymized for any external volunteers and shoppers.

We do not track any survey feedback to individual student shoppers. All shared information is confidential and anonymized; data is used purely for internal review of processes.

If you are interested, there are staircases in the CIE where you can exit the building discreetly. Just ask a Blue Hen Essentials assistant to point you in the right direction.

We sanitize every bag after it is returned.

CIE staff adheres to UD COVID-19 Guidelines.

The physical Food and Supply Pantry room is not open to the public for health and safety reasons.

We cannot fulfill individual requests, but if you have a recommendation, please email bluehenessentials@udel.edu or note it on our post-shopping survey and we will do what we can to accommodate!

Yes! We do accept donations. We ask that any donated food or supplies be unopened, clearly labeled and of good quality (e.g., no dents, not expired, etc.). We have created an Amazon Wishlist to make donations easier, but we accept in-person and mailed donations, as well. Our shipping address is 325 Academy Street, Suite 261. The donation can be made out to UD Food and Supply Pantry.

Inventory in the Food and Supply Pantry is sourced from the Food Bank of Delaware, Amazon and Costco, as well as donations from the community. 

The Blue Hen Essentials team manages the Food and Supply Pantry and the Clothing Coop.

Sign Up to Volunteer at an Event

To schedule a group volunteer opportunity for your department or student organization, email bluehenessentials@udel.edu.

Mobile Food Pantry

In partnership with the Food Bank of Delaware, a Mobile Food Pantry comes to campus twice each semester. This fall, the Mobile Food Pantry will be at Lot 19 on Wed. August 26, and November 11, from noon–2 p.m. RSVP on StUDent Central for more information. 

Blue Hen Bounty

Students, faculty and staff working within UD’s Episcopal Campus Ministry aim to address that need at Blue Hen Bounty, a campus-area food pantry that is fully stocked, including:  canned meats; fruit and vegetables; various grains and single-serve meals; cereal, snacks and condiments; assorted beverages; and basic toiletries.

Located at St. Thomas’ Parish at 276 South College Ave, students can access the Blue Hen Bounty by simply showing their UD ONEcard. The pantry is open by appointment; call 302-368-4644 or visit Blue Hen Bounty online for more information.

Swipe Out Hunger

Meal swipes are now available for any UD student in need and can be added to any UD ONECard, regardless of what type of student you are or whether you otherwise have a campus meal plan.