READING, Pa. — Hunger has become an increasing problem across college campuses, and this year’s senior class at Penn State Berks is hoping to make a difference by establishing a food pantry on campus.

The Penn State Berks Senior Class Gift Committee is working to raise funds to establish a food pantry dubbed “Nittany Corner.” It will be located within the Office of Student Affairs in the Perkins Student Center to ensure that students have confidential, private access to not only the goods, but also to campus staff who can assess additional needs that the students may have.

The main goal will be to address the issue of hunger at Penn State Berks, according to Joseph Chletsos, student government president and chair of the Senior Class Gift Committee. Funds raised by the Senior Class Gift will provide the basics to get the food pantry started. Once it is established, it is expected to accept donations of nonperishable canned goods and personal items.

So far, Nittany Corner has received 40 monetary donations from the senior class. Chletsos and others are hoping to raise awareness of the hunger issue on campus and the important legacy this senior class gift would make possible.

Teresa Sabatelli, director of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, states that there is a clear need for a food pantry at Penn State Berks but Student Affairs wants to take it a step further by meeting with students who visit the food pantry to determine whether they have additional needs with which the college may be able to assist. All such meetings will be private and confidential.

For additional information, contact Chletsos at JTC5323@psu.edu. To donate to the Senior Class Gift, go to giveto.psu.edu/berksclassgift2017.