Otterbein's Promise House is open to all students and was founded by students to support their peers. It is a resource here on campus that has just over 250 members, with 90 to 100 students shopping regularly out of the 2,300 students enrolled this year.
There is sometimes waste due to not enough students coming in and getting food. Karli Walsh, the AmeriCorps VISTA member at Promise House, said that "right before fall break or Thanksgiving break, for example, and there are just not as many students, we try to take waste (such as baked goods and produce) to one of the food scrap drop-offs/compost drop-offs in Westerville."
The Promise House has a variety of food to choose from. They have fresh produce — especially in the summer — and they also do food rescues, which are when places such as Fox in the Snow and Panera give food that they still have at the end of the day to the Promise House because they would have had to throw it away due to not being baked that day. There is also a variety of shelf-stable food to choose from, such as pasta, canned food, and peanut butter.
The Promise House would like to see more allergy-friendly items, such as things that are gluten-free and dairy-free. "Ramen, pasta, and cans are all great, but if someone has celiac, for example, they can't eat a lot of those things," said Walsh. They also provide hygiene items, which are not donated very often.
The Promise House offers more than just food. The emergency grant allows students to request up to $75 at a time, with a maximum of $300 per student over the course of their Otterbein career. This grant can be used for a variety of needs, such as car repairs, textbooks, and health expenses. The Promise House also offers free and discounted clothing through the partnership with the Otterbein Thrift Store.
If you would like to visit the Promise House, you can fill out a quick form that they use to keep track of how many people utilize the program.
There are also upcoming opportunities where students can give back. At the Can Comerford event on Dec. 4, students can drop off canned goods at the President's Office in Roush Hall before 5 p.m. Students can also donate winter clothing at the annual Tree Lighting on Dec. 5, starting at 5:30 p.m.
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