By Chloe Melton
To help out the Davenport community, St. Ambrose University’s student-led food pantry, Bee Nourished, provides goods to local individuals each month. Members work each month to make
sure those in need are able to get different food items that they may need. This club is a great way for SAU students to get involved and give back to their community.
“When we first started, we didn’t really know how to run a food pantry,” says Ali Cain, Founder of Bee Nourished. “We were kind of just thrown into it. But, Ralph Kelly, who is the director of Davenport
Community Food Pantry has been a great mentor and resource for us.”
The partnership that St. Ambrose has with the Davenport Community Food Pantry has allowed
for the club to flourish. It created a great starting point for Cain to expand and introduce
more members.
“I got involved because I joined the club and liked what we were doing,” says volunteer Drake Helmig. “We went down to Puerto Rico and got some inspiration and we started the food pantry. I thought it was pretty cool so I continued doing it.”
They’ve seen firsthand the benefits it’s brought to the community. “Our clients who get the food every month, I know that it means a lot to them,” says Cain.
Bee Nourished is always looking for volunteers in order to grow the club. The more volunteers
that there are means the more individuals in the community that can benefit from the food
pantry.