Pace University — a place known for scholarship, community, and success.
But beneath these positive mantras lies a reality many students, faculty, and staff face daily: food insecurity.
Pace is not alone in this issue — many college campuses have community members who struggle to access food.
What’s most jarring is that institutions often fail to acknowledge this problem at all.
Wen’s mission is to ensure Pace is not one of those institutions — to make sure it never turns a blind eye to the needs of its people.
As Wen puts it, “There’s a stigma to why a college would need a food pantry… but people hit hard times. People are food insecure one day and they’re not the next — it’s a spectrum.”
Wen, the Assistant Director of Residential Life at Pace, recognizes this gap and has extended her role beyond her job description to create a pantry unlike any other.
It’s called Pace Market — intentionally named so that no one feels ashamed for getting a little extra help.
Wen’s intention with the Pace Market is to create a safe place for all:
“I really want to describe it as an open, informal, and fun shopping experience… not like looking over your shoulder to see how much you grab.”
And the impact of Wen’s work is undeniable.
“I see the impact on a student who maybe forgot lunch that day, but I also see the impact on a student who was able to get groceries for the week or the month.”
This isn’t just a program. It’s a shift in culture — one that means something deeply to Wen and to the broader Pace community.
Wen puts it simply: “Outside of just the number impact, I just really appreciate how the pantry has slowly become part of the community.”
Through the Pace Market, the university is striving to create a special environment where academic success is possible because no one needs to worry about where their next meal will come from.
And for Wen, it’s still astonishing to see the pantry’s daily influence.
She reflects, “A pallet’s about a thousand pounds… It’s a lot. It’s crazy to see how, in one hour, that pallet — or those eight pallets — have disappeared. Every time that happens, I have to kind of step back and be like, wow… this food went. Not only did people need it, but they wanted it.”
Pace Market serves its community with that urgency — so that no one who walks onto campus has to face the question: Will I eat today?
The truth is, because of Wen, this question may never need to be asked.
Sometimes, we need a little extra help to succeed — and sometimes, that help comes in the form of food.
And every time that help is available, it’s because of dedicated community workers like Wen.
