Give
Search

Grove Grocery

The UM Food Pantry aims to combat campus hunger and poverty by providing nutritious food and hygiene products to students and employees.

  1. Home
  2. Departmental Directory
  3. UMatter
  4. Grove Grocery

About Us

The UM Food Pantry was established in 2013 to help alleviate food insecurity among the University of Mississippi students and employees on campus. The Food Pantry is operated by a student committee with the help of student volunteers.

Fall Semester Hours:  Grove Grocery will be open for in-person visits on the following days and times:

Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm

Grove Grocery Order Form

Need to request groceries from the Food Pantry? 

Get to know Grove Grocery

Grove Grocery sign

Get Involved

Grove Grocery is funded almost entirely through donations and staffed by volunteers, so we rely on community support to feed hungry Ole Miss students, faculty, and staff. If you are interested in supporting the Food Pantry in one of the following ways, please click the links to learn more. If you have any questions, please email Grovegrocery@go.olemiss.edu. Thank you for your support and generosity!

Learn more here
canned food on a shelf

Our Mission

Grove Grocery seeks to end campus hunger and alleviate poverty by discreetly providing nutritious food products and hygiene products free of charge to students and employees in the Ole Miss community.

Canned food on a shelf

Our Services

Our pantry has a wide array of options including frozen food, popular snacks, hygiene products, spices, and more. But we strive to be more than just a pantry.

In addition to our fully stocked pantry, we offer meal swipes, Grab-N-Go bags, and can fill grocery orders for you.  Grab and Go Bags contain a recipe and all the ingredients needed to make it. They can be found outside the Food Pantry and are available at all times.

Learn more here

Support & Resources

We are committed to providing you with the tools, guidance, and assistance you need to succeed.

Take a glance at the questions down below: 

“The food that I buy doesn’t last, and I don’t always have money to get more.”

“I can’t afford to eat balanced meals.”

“I can’t eat as much as I want because there isn’t money for food”

“I hate the end of the month because I have to cut down my meals”

“I am stuck eating the same unhealthy meals because it is all that I can afford”

If any of these statements apply to you, or you feel like you would benefit from our resources, we are here to help you!  We exist to support you, and welcome every member of our community.

Note: All Grove Grocery services are strictly confidential and kept private among our volunteers. If any of the above statements/questions apply to your circumstances you are eligible for our assistance and encouraged to utilize our resources.

SNAP (formerly known as food stamps)

  • SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program, provides monthly benefits that help low income households buy the food they need for good health.
  • Note: Most college students are not eligible for SNAP. Click here to learn more about exceptions to this rule.
  • To determine if you may be eligible for SNAP in Mississippi, visit this link.
  • To learn about SNAP benefits in another state, visit here. 
  • To apply for SNAP benefits in Mississippi, visit this link.

WIC

  • WIC is a special supplemental food program for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children under five years of age. WIC helps you and your baby get healthy foods and healthy advice in the first years of life.
  • To determine if you may be eligible for WIC benefits, take this pre-assessment
  • To apply for WIC benefits in Mississippi, you must visit a WIC clinic in person. To find a WIC clinic near you, follow this link. 

The Pantry (Oxford, MS Food Pantry)

  • The Pantry provides food to residents of Lafayette County.
  • Hours: 9-11 am on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
    • If it’s possible, please come on Wednesday if you are under 65 and come on Thursdays if you are over 65. However, this is not a hard and fast rule.
  • How to visit:
    • Drive to the Pantry, which is located at 713 Molly Barr Rd (by the Oxford Police Station).
    • Bring proof that you live in Lafayette County (such as your driver’s license or Ole Miss ID).
    • You will be asked for your name and address, and someone will bring food out to your car.
  • Note: Normally, the Pantry has a screening process to ensure that its visitors are financially in need of assistance. However, this process is currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oxford Community Market (OXCM)

OXCM is a weekly farmers market that takes place each Tuesday from 3-6:30 (April through November) at the Old Armory Pavilion, located at the corner of University Avenue and Bramlett Boulevard. The market accepts SNAP and has multiple programs to provide affordable, healthy, locally grown produce and food items to the community.

  • Double Your Dollars – OXCM provides a dollar-for-dollar match (maximum of $10 match), for customers using SNAP benefits at the market to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. To participate in this program, visit the market manager’s table (at the front entrance of the pavilion) to swipe your SNAP card and receive your bonus dollars.
  • WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Vouchers – OXCM accepts WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Vouchers, and led Mississippi in the highest voucher redemption rate last year.

OXCM is accessible via the OUT bus line.

More Than a Meal

More than a Meal is a non-profit organization with the mission to “serve the people of Oxford with good food, encouragement, and a sense of community. A warm meal, fellowship, tutoring for children, and much, much more.”

Physical Health

University of Mississippi Health Services

  • The Ole Miss Health Services was created to serve students, faculty, and staff at the University of Mississippi. University Health Services is dedicated to meeting the health care needs of our community.
  • To learn more about University Health Services, visit healthcenter.olemiss.edu

Oxford Medical Ministries Clinic

  • Oxford Medical Ministries Clinic is a private, nonprofit, community based organization that provides compassionate, quality healthcare at no charge to low income, uninsured working adults of Lafayette and Yalobusha counties in Mississippi.

Medicaid

  • Medicaid provides health coverage for eligible, low income populations in Mississippi. These include children, low-income families, pregnant women, family planning benefits, the aged, and disabled.
  • Whether or not you are eligible for Medicaid is determined partly by your income. To see if you may be eligible for Medicaid in Mississippi, visit this link.
  • To learn and apply to Medicaid, visit this link.

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

  • CHIP offers free or low-cost medical and dental care to uninsured kids up to age 19 whose family income is above Medicaid’s limit but below their state’s CHIP limit.
  • To see if you are eligible or to apply, visit this link.

 

Mental Health

University of Mississippi Counseling Center

  • The University Counseling Center is currently offering elemental health services to Ole Miss students, faculty, and staff! To learn more about this option, please call 662-915-3784 or email counslg@olemiss.edu between 9 AM and 4 PM.
  • To learn more visit the Counseling Center.

The University Counseling Center is located on the third floor of Lester Hall. Services include individual counseling and therapy, support groups and crisis intervention. UM students may receive 10 free therapy visits per academic year. UM employees may receive a free consultation and as many as three additional sessions at $30 per session (per academic year). The fee for UM employees is payroll deducted. 

UMatter

  • UMatter serves as the official site for finding resources and information on how to care for yourself and your peers when in distress.
  • To learn more, visit Umatter.

University of Mississippi Psychological Services

  • Our mission is to provide affordable and accessible services to the Mississippi community through low cost, high quality services for people with and without insurance.
  • Open to students and community members.
  • Call 662-915-7385 or visit here for more information.

The UM Psychological Services Center and Department of Psychology offer a variety of services on a sliding pay scale. If payment is an issue, tell your therapist at your first visit and they will make accommodations. Examples of commonly addressed problems include anxiety/panic, academic problems, sexual identity, depression, and parent-child problems.

Financial Aid

Ole Miss Office of Financial Aid

  • Ole Miss strives to provide their students a high-quality education at an affordable cost.  Their staff works diligently to help you achieve your educational goals and meet your costs of attendance by administering a variety of financial assistance programs.
  • A financial aid package may consist of a scholarship, grant, loan, part-time job, or a combination of these programs.
  • To learn more, visit Ole Miss Financial Aid or call 800-891-4596

Government Benefits

These are government programs that may help you pay for food, housing, health care, and other basic living expenses that you need and deserve.

Common programs include SNAP (food stamps) and unemployment insurance. Read below to learn more about these and other programs.

In order to see what benefits you may be eligible for, visit this link.

Unemployment Insurance

  • Unemployment Insurance (UI) is a program designed to ease the economic burden of unemployment by providing a temporary source of income for individuals who are unemployed through no fault of their own.
  • If you live in Mississippi:
  • If you live somewhere other than Mississippi, visit this link to learn more.

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Cash Assistance)

  • The TANF Program provides monthly payments for low-income families with children under age 18. The program is designed to help families achieve self-sufficiency through employment and training.
  • To determine if you may be eligible for TANF, visit this link.
  • Apply for Mississippi TANF benefits here. 
  • To apply for TANF in a state other than Mississippi, visit this link.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

  • The SSI program pays cash benefits to disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources. SSI benefits also are payable to people 65 and older without disabilities who meet the financial limits.
  • To learn more and to apply for SSI benefits, visit this link.

Housing

Subsidized Housing, Housing Vouchers, and Public Housing Programs

  • These programs help low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities to get into affordable private or government-owned rental housing.
  • To learn more about the programs offered through The Department of Housing and Urban Development, visit this link.

Energy Assistance

  • The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist families with energy costs.
  • To determine if you may be eligible for Energy Assistance, visit this link.
  • To apply for Energy Assistance in Mississippi, visit here.
  • To apply for Energy Assistance in another state, visit here.

Doors of Hope

  • Door of Hope Transition Ministries helps families through financial crises. They work with families who are currently homeless and with families who are at imminent risk of losing their homes.
  • Offers programs including Transitional Housing, Housing in Place, and a Healthy Lifestyle Program.
  • To determine if you are eligible and to apply, visit this link.
  • For more information, visit here.

211

  • 211 is a free, confidential referral and information helpline and website that connects people to the essential health and human services they need, 24/7
    • You can find information about supplemental food/nutrition programs, shelter and housing options, utilities assistance, emergency information and disaster relief, employment and education opportunities, services for veterans, health care/vaccination/epidemic information, addiction prevention and rehabilitation programs, reentry for ex-offenders, support groups, and a safe/confidential path out of physical and/or emotional domestic abuse
  • To access 211, dial 2-1-1 from Mississippi, dial (866) 472-8265 from anywhere in the country. 

Find Help

  • Find food assistance, help paying bills, and other free or reduced cost programs, including new programs for the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Just visit this link and enter your zip code to be connected with resources near you, sorted by category.

 

Rise, Inc. Student Navigator Network

  • An online portal for specifically college students affected by COVID-19 to seek help. When you apply, a student case manager will reach out to you to help you find emergency financial aid, apply for public benefits, and connect with local resources.
  • RISE may be able to help you find resources to assist you with the following: food, technology devices (such as laptops), unemployment Insurance, wifi, rental/housing assistance, healthcare, transportation, moving, mental health, utility assistance, federal grants/loans, work study assistance, campus financial aid, and emergency financial support
  • Visit this link to learn more.

 

Oxford-University Transit

UM students and employees ride for free on the OUT buses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our FAQ section is designed to answer the most common inquiries about our products, services, and processes.

We have renamed to Grove Grocery: The UM Food Pantry.  We offer the same exemplary service, but under a new name.

There are no qualifications to use the Food Pantry. All University of Mississippi students, faculty, and staff are eligible to shop at the Food Pantry. Use the Food Pantry as often as you need it, depending on your individual needs.

No, you do not have to pay.

There is no limit to how many times you can shop at Grove Grocery, or how much you can take each visit. Visit as often as you need.

The Food Pantry is open during specific hours during fall/spring/summer semesters. Grove Grocery is closed for in-person shopping during the summer vacation. We are still open for online ordering.

If you do visit the Food Pantry outside of operating hours, Grab and Go items are available outside the Pantry at all times.

Yes. All Food Bank volunteers attend a mandatory confidentiality training, and providing free, discreet access to whatever you need is our priority. You may be asked to fill out an anonymous survey to help us better serve the UM community. A volunteer may also weigh the food as you leave the Food Pantry to estimate the number of meals provided, but this is to help us with our planning and assessment of the Food Pantry. You may take as much food as you need.

Grove Grocery is located on the University of Mississippi campus, in Kinard Hall room 213, on Rebel Drive. (Kinard is the building in which the University Police Department is located.) Kinard Hall is accessible via the OUT Bus Line. If you drive, feel free to use the parking spot designated for Food Pantry visitors.

We estimate that the Food Bank serves more than 150 people each year.

Oxford community members who are not affiliated with UM should use Oxford Food Pantries.

Visit the “Donate” page of this website to learn more about the items needed by the Food Pantry or email grovegrocery@go.olemiss.edu.

Visit the “Volunteer” page of this website to learn more about volunteering, or e-mail grovegrocery@go.olemiss.edu.

Contact grovegrocery@go.olemiss.edu for more information about hosting a food drive.