When I was asked to write this post, I had no idea what to write. How can I describe the Spartan Open Pantry and everything that it means to me? That seems like an impossible task, but I will do my best.

I think the only true way to describe the Spartan Open Pantry is as a sum of its parts: the Neighbors, the volunteers, and the staff. Each part brings unquestionable value, and the sum of those parts is honestly something of beauty.

When I think of the Spartan Open Pantry, the staff first come to mind. I spent a year with them, and I still am constantly amazed by the love and acceptance that radiates from each and every one of them.

Andrew is not someone I’d expect to respond to an email without several text, call, and/or in-person reminders, but he’s the person that will drop absolutely anything he’s working on to sit with you and talk about whatever you’re going through. He’s the keeper of many of my secrets, and someone I’ve turned to in many times of need, either to serve as just an ear, a shoulder to cry on, or a Benevolent Wizard with sage advice.

Emily will always apologize for the mess to anyone who gets in her car, but she’s quick to remind you that it’s okay to feel whatever messy emotions you have. She held the door while I half climbed into a freezer unit at the grocery store to check the weights of turkeys to make sure we got the best price and took me to and from the Emergency Room when I fractured my ankle. I know that she’ll always be there to advocate for me and my needs, and to share some Dr. Pepper!

Kellie constantly sings the highlights of musicals, regardless of if you know of or care about the musical, but she’s also the first to sing your praises whenever you’re feeling down about yourself. She caught the car keys I dropped out of my second story window to move my car and then surprised me with ibuprofen, instant ice packs, and a Dr. Pepper in the middle of the night. I don’t know how someone can have a heart so big, but I know that Kellie’s is full of love.

The Spartan Open Pantry is a sum of all of them: Andrew’s unwavering dedication; Emily’s fierce loyalty; Kellie’s boundless love.

I may sound biased towards them, but I didn’t start out that way. If anything, I think I was biased against them. When I found out I would be working with a campus ministry, I just about turned around and walked out. I grew up in a religious home, and I’ve never found any acceptance in religious communities. As a queer, genderfluid person, not to mention a raging atheist, I could not think of a worse place to work. Then, I met Andrew.

When Andrew was introduced to me as a minister, I thought they’d called the wrong Andrew. I think my first words when I heard his job title were: “Does he know that?” Imagine my surprise when I found out that it wasn’t just a joke on the new hire. I didn’t spend a lot of time with him in a religious context, unless you count the fact that the Spartan Open Pantry is housed in a church. He completely revolutionized my idea of a religious figure, though. He wasn’t one of the rigid, older white men that I grew up with as church leaders. He was fun? Andrew taught me not to be afraid of religious folks, which I didn’t even realize was a concern for my subconscious. He never tried to convert me or make me sit through a service. He appreciated my differences and made me feel valued everyday.

My time with the Spartan Open Pantry was incredible, and I wish it would’ve lasted longer. It completely changed my life, and I’m not even exaggerating. I started that job as a way to get some sort of experience in the nonprofit world and to pay down some debt, but I wasn’t expecting it to affect me the way it did.

I have firsthand experience being food insecure, and I can tell you all of my tips and tricks on how to fill out a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application. The talking points and statistics are seared into my brain at this point. Every technical aspect you can imagine, I know and can do or relay on autopilot. However, the greatest gift that my time with the Spartan Open Pantry gave me, was focus.

I have a lot of topics that I’m passionate about. I like to say they fill me with righteous fury: mental health stigmatization, LGBTQIA+ discrimination, accessibility vs universal design, etc. Food insecurity and discrimination on the basis of receiving assistance was definitely on that list, but it wasn’t as high up as it is for me now. My favorite project at my last job was learning about a mobile farmers’ market in a rural area, but that’s about as close to food insecurity as I’d gotten before I moved to Greensboro. After working with the Spartan Open Pantry, I’m proud to say that I’m starting a thesis-based graduate program, and I plan to write my thesis about how hunger relates to identity. I don’t think I ever would’ve focused my passion on that topic if not for this experience.

I couldn’t point you towards a more loving and accepting group of people if I tried. While I’m sad to have transitioned out of my role with the Spartan Open Pantry, I know that the community is in the best of hands. There is absolutely no organization that I trust more to look out for the best interests of the UNC Greensboro and Greensboro College communities.

The Spartan Open Pantry is a sum of its parts, and it will forever be a part of me.