Talon’s Table, the student food pantry on campus at Oklahoma Christian University, is in its second year of service and continues to grow and adapt to serve students. Talon’s Table, located in the Student Success office on the second floor of the Beam Library, provides free food and resources for students on campus who may need help with meals throughout the school year and during breaks.
Hannah Leftwich, senior director of Student Success and Academic Outreach is responsible for beginning Talon’s Table food pantry on campus.
Leftwich said, “So in the summer of 2023 I applied for a grant through Oklahoma Christian Women’s Association, or OCWA, because we had learned that there were students that were staying on campus over breaks or were struggling to get enough food when there are times that the Branch is closed, or they just need a little extra support. About one in four, one in five college students face food insecurity, and so we applied for a grant that got it started. Initially it was mostly shelf stable items, so canned vegetables, fruit cups, canned meats, those kinds of things. That first year we had it open, we started handing out break bags which were just bags of 15 to 20 items that students could have while campus was closed so they wouldn’t be quite so hungry.”
As Talon’s Table continued to grow, Leftwich pursued more resources to equip the pantry to serve more students with a wider variety of foods.
“This last spring 2025, we applied for a grant for a refrigerator so that we could add what we needed. We received that grant, and were able to restock it with some of those funds. So now we’ve got cheeses and fruits and vegetables and freezer items, which just kind of helps provide more food for people,” Leftwich said.
Over the last two years, students have begun to regularly use the pantry to fulfill their food needs throughout the week.
Leftwich said, “I am really happy when students come and use it regularly because that means they know about it and they know that it’s accessible and that it’s helping meet their need[s]. When we first started it, that’s kind of what I envisioned it being, but we had a hard time getting the word out. So now that there are students that are regular shoppers and can get food, that’s really exciting. I also think the break bags have really helped fill a need in a way that I couldn’t have anticipated when we first started, and that’s been really neat to see students come in and ask people to help meet that need.”
Talon’s Table food pantry acquires food in two main ways:
“So we have [monetary] donations, and we can use those monetary funds to buy food, mostly from Walmart. Campus has been really wonderful about helping with food donations. I’ve also created a Walmart registry that you can go on, and when you’re doing your grocery shopping you can add it to your list or you can have it delivered. We’ve looked into partnering with other food banks, but there are a lot of different rules and regulations with that, mostly right now it’s monetary donations and then food donations,” said Leftwich.
Help is needed to keep Talon’s Table running smoothly.
Leftwich said, “I think where we need the most help right now is when we get a big order from Walmart, I need help with restocking, and then we could always use help from people putting together break bags for each break.”
Plans for future growth with Talon’s Table continue to develop as the food pantry grows.
Leftwich said, “I’m always thinking about the next step and what could we do to help serve students that need it. I’d love for us to word with the Branch [cafeteria] to have food reclaiming. So if they had unused, leftover food, we could put together lunch packages. They do something like that at UCO and I think it’s really clever. That’s not a quick thing, because it’d be a different kind of shift, but I think for the short term we’ll keep doing what we’re doing and making sure that it’s well stocked and that we have the things that we need for the students.”
John Meadows, a senior majoring in communications with a minor in marketing is involved with Talon’s Table as a volunteer and also as someone who has utilized the resource himself.
Meadows said, “They have a lot of good food. They have pasta, canned meat, beans, they got the stuff that college kids need.” Meadows said, “Honestly right now, I don’t think a lot of people know about Talon’s Table, so we’ve been trying to get the word out about it. But when we have breaks, we always have a lot of people come for the break bags.”
Meadows has seen Talon’s Table develop over his years at Oklahoma Christian.
“I’ve been there since the beginning. I’ve helped stock it, help run it, and help it go,” Meadows said. “It’s kind of my job. As well as being a receptionist for student success, I also have to help run the pantry. I have to help make sure everything’s stocked and help people get their groceries,” said Meadows.
On how students can get involved with serving the mission of Talon’s Table, Meadows said:
“They would have to come up to Talon’s Table first, they’d have to come up there and we encourage them to sign up for the GroupMe [group chat] so that they can get involved.”
Talon’s Table food pantry is available to all students at Oklahoma Christian, with a variety of food that is shelf stable and fresh in the new refrigerator. Students are encouraged to utilize this resource whenever they may need help with food.
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