Student Food Pantry gets new, improved software system

Five months after relocating to Robinson Hall, the Central Michigan University Student Food Pantry is receiving a major technology upgrade.

Beginning Tuesday, October 14, the pantry will run on a brand-new software system. PantrySOFT will enhance every aspect of the pantry’s services, from student access to volunteer workflow.

Students can create a profile that includes details such as dietary restrictions, accessibility needs and the number of dependents – all information that helps the pantry better serve their needs. The system also adds email and text reminders as well as a comprehensive online shopping tool.

“They’ll be able to see all of our inventory online before they even come in to make sure we have what they need,” said  Symantha Dattilo, interim director of the  Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center. “It’s going to significantly improve their experience – especially for students who have dietary restrictions. If we don’t have what they need, they shouldn’t have to wait to find that out.”

Students and volunteers will both benefit from a much more efficient check-in and check-out process, which is an area where the food pantry has historically faced a bottleneck.

“This will help us breeze right through that,” Dattilo said.

Other key highlights include improved inventory management, detailed usage statistics and volunteer tracking – all things that will allow the pantry to be more intentional in how it serves its users and shares its success with donors and the community.

“Nothing that the pantry does would be possible without donors, and this software is included in that,” Dattilo said. “This is being funded by donors and is going to significantly improve both the student-user experience as well as the staff and volunteer experience.”

The Pantry will be closed on Thursday, October 10 and Monday, October 13 to train staff and update online inventory ahead of the October 14 launch. Students are encouraged to create an online profile prior to their next visit to ensure uninterrupted access to pantry services once the new system goes live.