This new initiative, overseen by the Dean of Student Development, brings many existing student assistance programs together under one roof in Peirce Hall rooms 312 and 314. Students facing any of the needs listed below may reach out to Dean Robin Hart Ruthenbeck for information about accessing The Source, which is currently open on a limited basis and will become more fully available during the course of the fall 2022 semester.
This initiative is taking place in partnership with the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Center for Global Engagement; students can also contact those offices for more information.
The Center for Global Engagement and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have worked to ensure that winter clothing is available for students who might otherwise go without. This coordinated effort will be housed within The Source, where students can peruse the shelves and select from the variety of coats, hats, mittens and scarves.
Students who arrive on campus without linens, towels or pillows, or who need those items when temporarily relocating to alternative housing during the academic year, may utilize The Source’s linen supplies for long- or short-term use. The Source will also stock hygiene products including soap, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, razors, toothbrushes and toothpaste, feminine hygiene products and laundry detergent. Limited school supplies may also be available.
In partnership with outside organizations Center of Hope and Mid-Ohio Food Collective, alongside Kenyon’s food service provider AVI, The Source ensures that students who meet financial criteria for assistance, and who are remaining on campus when Peirce Dining Hall is closed, have access to healthy grocery options. Shelf-stable items, fresh foods and produce are stocked in The Source, and approved students will have the opportunity to shop weekly. This program takes the place of meal stipends that have been provided in the past and allows Kenyon to expand access.
The Source can also serve as a secure location to hold food for students who are fasting for religious purposes, such as Ramadan. Warming boxes and refrigerators will be stocked with options for the suhur and iftar pre-dawn and post-sunset meals. Students who are fasting are able to use their K-cards to enter the space and pick up the food they need.