Elon employees lend a hand in SAFE pantry transition

Members of the 2024-25 cohort of Elon’s Mid-Level Professionals Institute (MLPI) sought a meaningful way to serve the Alamance County community while strengthening their connections with one another. The group worked with South Alamance Family Empowerment or SAFE, which needed help transforming its Hwy 87 facility into a new “Choice Pantry.”

The SAFE Hwy 87 pantry temporarily closed from Feb. 23 to March 25 to implement the Choice Pantry model—a grocery-store style approach that provides food assistance to local families experiencing food insecurity. MLPI members dedicated an afternoon to unloading a truck filled with food, organizing and stocking shelves, and assembling furniture to prepare the pantry for reopening.

Beginning March 25, 2025, families will have the empowering opportunity to select groceries based on their personal preferences, using a points-based system reflective of their household size. According to Feeding America, Alamance County has a food insecurity rate of 14.3%, affecting nearly 24,560 residents.

“This pantry aligns perfectly with our vision of eliminating hunger. It gives folks a respectful experience, just like going to a grocery store, without the stress or financial burden,” said Todd Spencer, a SAFE board member and volunteer. “Volunteers like Elon’s MLPI group make it possible for us to offer this kind of dignity and support to the community.”

Elon’s MLPI program supports mid-level university staff by providing structured professional development, mentorship, and leadership training. Current MLPI coordinators Lauren Bosselait and TJ Bowie will transition leadership to next year’s coordinators, Vicki Blocker and Nita Skillman.

“As MLPI participants, we wanted to come together through service to positively impact our local community,” said John Ring, MLPI facilitator and director of engineering outreach. “Supporting SAFE’s transition to a Choice Pantry was a meaningful way for us to connect as colleagues while making a tangible difference for Alamance County families.”

MLPI volunteers who contributed to the SAFE Choice Pantry project included:

• Dana Clar, director of sponsored programs, Office of Sponsored Programs
• Mary DeFriest, assistant AD for marketing and fan engagement, Athletics
• Monica Glover, special events and communications coordinator, Office of the Provost
• John Ring, director of engineering outreach, Department of Engineering
• Stormy Shapiro, compensation and recruitment analyst, Human Resources
• Nita Skillman, director of interprofessional simulation, School of Health Sciences
• Kimberly Stapleton, assistant director of financial aid for university engagement and partnership, Financial Aid
• Diane Swenson, assistant director of marketing communications for the Love School of Business, University Communications
• Kathy Ziga, director of academic advising, Academic Advising

John Ring and Stormy Shapiro loading and unloading food for families

Mary DeFriest and Kimberly Stapleton assembling desks

John Ring, Monica Glover and Nita Skillman sorting food

Kathy Ziga after putting together an office chair

Dana Clar, Kathy Ziga and Nita Skillman organizing food

John Ring and Stormy Shapiro loading and unloading food for families

Mary DeFriest and Kimberly Stapleton assembling desks

John Ring, Monica Glover and Nita Skillman sorting food

Kathy Ziga after putting together an office chair

Dana Clar, Kathy Ziga and Nita Skillman organizing food

John Ring and Stormy Shapiro loading and unloading food for families

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SAFE Executive Director Tiffanie Jackson and Hwy 87 Manager Racheal Garcia expressed appreciation for Elon’s involvement, emphasizing that community partnerships are foundational to SAFE’s success.

For more information about SAFE and opportunities to volunteer, visit SAFE’s website.

About Mid-Level Professionals Institute

The MLPI program, launched in the 2022-23 academic year alongside the Elon Early Career Institute, welcomes Elon staff members with at least five years of higher education experience and significant professional responsibilities, such as supervising teams, leading committees, or managing projects.

Learn more about Elon’s MLPI program.