FVH FAQs- Food Vault Hawaii Frequently Asked Questions

FVH Frequently Asked Questions (FVH FAQs)

Pantry * Food Drop * Meal Swipes * Period Products

Questions about the FVH Pantry in Hemenway Hall 111?

What is the FVH Pantry? The FVH Pantry is a storefront location at Hemenway Hall 111 that offers shelf-stable food to UHM students experiencing food insecurity at no cost.
Who is eligible to use the FVH Pantry? Registered UHM students who pay mandatory student fees are eligible to use the pantry. In order to verify status students must scan in using the Manoa One Card/Student ID.
Why is the FVH Pantry only open to UHM students? Funds and resources used to establish the FVH Pantry came from mandatory student fees allocated by the Associated Students of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Campus Center Board, and the Student Activity and Program Fee Board. These student organizations continue to provide funds to operate the pantry. The pantry also receives donations from community members to support students.
What are the FVH Pantry hours? The hours change every semester. During Spring 2024, the hours are: Mondays 8am-2pm, Thursdays 1-4pm, and Fridays 1-4pm. We are closed on state holidays and during non-instructional days.
Why do the FVH Pantry hours change every semester? We work with our student employees’ schedules. Every semester their class schedules change and we build our 12 hours of operation around their schedules.
When does the pantry get restocked? We usually restock on Saturdays and midweek. However, our stocking is impacted by the overall inventory we are able to access from donations and/or direct purchasing.
Why are there limits? We have budgetary and storage limitations. We also have increasing demand. We want to distribute as much as we can to as many students that may be in need as possible. Our limit system is helping us accomplish this goal.
Where does the food in the FVH Pantry come from? A combination of donations from the campus and larger community as well as direct purchasing using funds allocated by one or more of the chartered student organizations.
Why does the FVH Pantry only have bread and fresh produce on Mondays? These items are recovered from farmer’s markets over the weekend and/or purchased over the weekend. We do not currently have the staff to recover or purchase fresh items during weekdays.
May we have more fresh produce, eggs, meat, and cheese? Currently, we are limited to providing shelf-stable food and fresh produce once a week that can fit in our refrigerator. We recover and purchase produce on Saturdays. We do not have the staff to do midweek product purchasing. We have tried to order produce directly from farms for delivery and have not been successful. Currently, we are unable to offer eggs, meat, or cheese because we do not have a support kitchen or hand washing sink. We’d also need to acquire a new refrigerator that maintains its temperature at below 40 degrees. Finally, we would need to apply for and maintain a Department of Health permit to offer eggs, meat, and/or cheese. We would not be awarded a permit for these items without the support kitchen, handwashing sink, and refrigerator that can maintain below 40 degree temperature.
Does the FVH Pantry have a permit to operate? The FVH Pantry does not currently require a Department of Health (DOH) permit because we only distribute shelf-stables in original manufacturer packaging and whole produce that do not require refrigeration. Currently, we only refrigerate produce to extend its life. If we expand to include items that require a DOH permit, we will apply for a permit. In order to expand to offer products like eggs, refrigerated dairy, meat, or to repackage grains from larger quantities to smaller quantities, FVH will need a support kitchen and hand washing sink. We have explored options in the past and continue to explore options.
Why is the FVH Pantry in Hemenway Hall? FVH was initiated by students in a chartered student organization. Student organizations are based in the Campus Center Complex, which includes Hemenway Hall. The Campus Center Board, which oversees the Campus Center Complex approved use of Hemenway Hall 111 for the pilot program of the FVH Pantry. The current approval for use of this space for this purpose runs until 2025. There are no plans at this time to move the FVH Pantry out of the Campus Center Complex.
Will the FVH Pantry still be around after the pilot program ends in May 2024? Current data suggests there is a need for the FVH Pantry to continue. There are currently no plans to stop operations. Further discussion will take place in April 2024. More specific information will be shared over summer or by early Fall 2024.
Where can I donate food or toiletries to the FVH Pantry? Food and toiletry donations are accepted year round at the Office of Student Life and Development in Campus Center 208, Mondays through Fridays between 8am to 4:30pm, except on State Holidays. We also run a few drives during the year (July/August before the start of the academic year, November/December holiday drive, and March/April/May spring toiletry drive).
Who may I contact with other questions about the FVH pantry? Please email us at fvh@hawaii.edu

Questions about Food Drop @ the Campus Center Courtyard

What is Food Drop @ the Campus Center Courtyard? Food Drop @ the Campus Center Courtyard is a food distribution event offered to the campus community by Food Vault Hawaii in collaboration with the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, and the Hawaii FoodBank. This event is a part of Hawaii FoodBank’s Ohana Produce Plus Program.
When is the Food Drop? Food Drop @ the Campus Center Complex is on 2nd Wednesdays of the month during the fall and spring academic semesters.
Who is eligible to receive food at the Food Drop event? The Hawaii FoodBank provides the food. The food is distributed to any member of the campus or larger community who attends the event, registers, and comes through the distribution line.
Would it be possible to offer online registration for the Food Drop event? We offered online and in-person registration in 2019. We received complaints about people being able to cut the line because they had registered online. Our partner agencies asked us to discontinue online registration so registration and distribution are on a first come, first served, in-person basis and is fair to everyone.
What does “best by” date mean? According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service, “Best if Used By/Before date indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.” For more information on Food Product Dating, please visit, https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/food-product-dating
Do you have a permit for this event? The Food Drop event is offered under a Hawaii FoodBank Special Permit with the State of Hawaii Department of Health.
I have classes on Wednesday in the middle of the day, why is the Food Drop on 2nd Wednesdays? We have the highest foot traffic in the Campus Center Complex on Wednesdays. We also need to distribute an average of 9,000 pounds of food in 4-5 hours. This is why we chose Wednesdays. The 2nd or 3rd week of the month allows us to offer this event the most during the academic year. 1st or 4th weeks would be impacted by the start and end of the semester calendar.
Will you inform my professor that I need to be excused from class to attend the Food Drop once a month? We apologize but at this time we are not able to request that professors excuse students from classes to attend the Food Drop. We hope you are able to use the other opportunities we provide to help meet your needs.
I have been to other food distribution events off-campus and they pre-bag all of the food for distribution. Why doesn’t FVH pre-bag all of the food for distribution before starting the distribution line? FVH does not pre-bag all of the food before distribution because we know our students may have special dietary needs, our students may have limited storage and/or refrigeration space, and we do not want to distribute pre-bagged food that our students will not eat. Please work with us by taking the food that you need and will be able to consume or share to be consumed.
Who may I contact with other questions about the Food Drop? Please email us at fvh@hawaii.edu

Questions about the FVH Meal Swipe Program

What is the FVH Meal Swipe Program? The FVH meal Swipe Program is offered by FVH in collaboration with Sodexo. Sodexo donated 500 meal swipes per semester and student meal plan holders are able to donate their unused weekly allocation of meal swipes. FVH redistributes these donated meal swipes to students experiencing food insecurity. The Meal Swipe Program is a pilot in 2023-24 and will not be available during winter recess or the summer months.
Who is eligible to apply for Meal Swipes? Registered UHM students experiencing food insecurity.
Where do the Meal Swipes come from? Donations from Sodexo or fellow students who chose to donate their unused weekly meal swipe allocations from their purchased meal plans.
Does FVH have a limited supply of Meal Swipes? Yes, we are limited by the amount of swipes that are donated.
Is there a maximum amount of Meal Swipes a student can receive? Currently, we have 3 meal plans that can be awarded sequentially. The first meal plan is FVH1 and includes 10 meal swipes. The second meal plan is FVH2 and includes 10 meal swipes. The final plan is FVH3 and includes 30 meal swipes. Currently, a student can be awarded up to 50 meal swipes per academic year. We are monitoring our supply of meals to see if we need to make adjustments.
How do I apply for Meal Swipes? Complete an application. The link to the application is on our webpage. The URL link for the 2023-24 academic year is https://forms.gle/kwGudtAVcqS3tiku8
How quickly will I know if I am awarded Meal Swipes? It usually takes 1-2 weeks (not including winter recess/spring recess) to hear back from us. The applications are received, reviewed for completeness, scored by 2-3 reviewers, then goes through a final review process before the award is approved and loaded. If an application is incomplete it does not reach a final review.
Who may I contact with other questions about the Meal Swipe Program? Please email us at fvh@hawaii.edu

Questions about the Aunt Flow Period Product Dispensers in the Campus Center Complex

Why did FVH install period product dispensers in the Campus Center Complex? FVH has been distributing period products from the FVH Pantry since fall 2018. We usually put a few in a zip bag for anyone who needs them. Installing period product dispensers seemed like the next best step following the Hawaii State Legislature’s passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 27 in March 2023 https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/SCR27_.PDF. The current dispensers were installed in July 2023. Since we are based in the Campus Center Complex and supported primarily by funding from 3 chartered student organizations, the dispensers were installed throughout the Campus Center Complex.
Where did the funds come from to install the period product dispensers in the CC Complex? Dispensers were purchased with funds donated through FVH’s UH Foundation Account. Products are purchased with donated funds to FVH’s UH Foundation Account and from funding received from 2 of the chartered student organizations (CCB and SAPFB).
How many period product dispensers are in the CC Complex and where are they located? As of Spring 2024, there are 10 dispensers installed in the Campus Center Complex. They are located in Campus Center (1st Floor Women’s Restroom, 2nd Floor Women’s Restroom, 2nd Floor Men’s Restroom, 3rd Floor Women’s Restroom), Hemenway Hall (1st Floor Women’s Restroom, 1st Floor Men’s Restroom), and Warrior Recreation Center (1st Floor Women’s Locker Room, 1st Floor Men’s Locker Room, 1st Floor Universal Locker Room, 2nd Floor Women’s Restroom).
Why are there period product dispensers in some of the men’s restrooms? Period poverty may impact anyone who knows someone with a period. Some male students may have a partner, family member, or friend experiencing period poverty. They may choose to take a few products to share. There are also students who identify as male, use men’s restrooms, and have periods. Our objective is to have the period products available to UHM students who may need them without invading their privacy.
Is FVH aware that period products are being wasted in one or more men’s restrooms? Yes, we are aware of the vandalism and hope at some point the campus community will help us educate one another about period poverty. We strive to help UHM students who need the products have access to them. On occasion any resource left out for public use may have some levels of waste or abuse that need to be factored into an operation. This being said, we hope to minimize waste and/or abuse and hold parties engaging in vandalism accountable.
Who restocks the period product dispensers? The period products are restocked by student employees at least once a week. Our goal is to restock our 10 dispensers twice a week (Saturdays and midweek). We highly recommend that those with periods always carry one or two extra products in their bags in case they need them. While we are doing our best, we cannot guarantee our dispensers will always be stocked or jam-free.
Why are the period product dispensers jammed? We have found issues with the current dispensers from Aunt Flow. Our dispensers are a first generation device. We are working with Aunt Flow on solutions to the dispenser jams. Please report product jams to fvh@hawaii.edu. Please specify the location of the restroom. Your reports will help us understand the frequency of the jams and get this challenge resolved.
Who may I contact when the dispensers are jammed or empty? fvh@hawaii.edu
Why didn’t FVH install period product dispensers in other parts of campus? FVH does not have the staff or funding to install and maintain dispensers beyond the Campus Center Complex. FVH is a grassroots effort that emerged from a few of the chartered student organizations. Said student organizations are based in the Campus Center Complex. Requests for the installation of cost-free period product dispensers across the campus should be sent to vpadmin@hawaii.edu.
Does FVH offer no cost period products anywhere else besides the dispensers in the Campus Center Complex restrooms? Yes, FVH distributes period products from the FVH Pantry and when available, from the SLD Office in Campus Center 208.
Who may I contact with other questions about the period product dispensers in the Campus Center Complex? Please email us at fvh@hawaii.edu