Wolverine Essentials
Welcome to Wolverine Essentials!
Wolverine Essentials is a one-stop location for currently enrolled UM-Flint students to access basic needs services and resources linking them to supplemental food, housing resources, gently used clothing, toiletries, and other basic needs resources.
About Us
Wolverine Essentials, formerly the Wolverine Food Den, started as a “by students, for students” initiative to help students who faced food insecurities on campus. In 2015, students from the University of Michigan-Flint’s social work program wanted to assist in addressing food insecurities, which affect many college students. The Social Work department conducted a study on the Flint campus about student food insecurity. This study indicated that 58 percent of the respondents stated they skipped or missed meals due to the availability of food sometimes, often, or all the time, while 38 percent reported lacking basic food needs. More than 30 students worked on this project to create the Wolverine Food Den. These students successfully secured grants from the Ann Arbor campus and the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan to begin the new food pantry, which opened in April 2019.
Today, in addition to food, Wolverine Essentials has grown to include a clothing closet, toiletries and hygiene items, assistance with state benefits, along with a host of other resources and services related to housing, transportation, and health & wellness.
Contact Wolverine Essentials
390 Harding Mott University Center (UCEN)
303 E. Kearsley St.
Flint, MI 48502
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 810-424-5277
Winter 2024 Hours (Beginning January 9, 2024)
Mondays: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tuesdays: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Wednesdays: 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Thursdays: 12:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Fridays: By appointment only – must be requested 48 hours in advance via email.
Break/Holiday Hours
January 15: Closed for MLK Day
January 17: Closing at 3 p.m. (Mgagement Fair)
February 26 – March 1: Closed
April 21-25: By Appointment Only
Closes for the semester on April 26, 2024. Will reopen Fall 2024.
Supporting Wolverine Essential
Looking to support Wolverine Essentials? Wolverine Essentials is funded and operates with the support of generous donors and volunteers. Listed below are the ways in which you can support.
Donate – Monetary
Any amount helps! You can help support Wolverine Essentials by making a monetary donation which will be used to purchase food, toiletries, and other necessary supplies for students. All monetary donations can be made by clicking Donate Now!
Donating Needed Items
Wolverine Essentials accepts donations year round and all donations go towards supporting the needs of UM-Flint students. Items we accept include; food, new or gently used clothing, kitchenware, and toiletries. Prior to donating, please review the Donation Needs list to view guidelines for donations and the most needed items. If you have any questions regarding donating items, please contact us at [email protected].
Volunteering with Wolverine Essentials
Volunteers play a pivotal role in the operation and success of Wolverine Essentials Volunteers within Wolverine Essentials take on shifts anywhere from 1-5 hours every week during a semester in the academic year.
Volunteer duties include:
- Answering walk-in inquiries & telephone calls.
- Assisting with intakes, check-out, and updating our online database.
- Assisting students with locating campus and local resources.
- Helping upload and stock after deliveries.
- Maintaining inventory.
- Sorting through clothing, food, and other items.
- Maintaining the cleanliness of Wolverine Essentials.
Those interested in learning more or volunteering with Wolverine Essentials should complete our Volunteer Application. Please keep in mind we only accept a limited number of volunteers per academic semester (Fall/Winter only).
Volunteering with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan
Are you or your organization/department looking to volunteer while still contributing to Wolverine Essentials? You can turn volunteer hours at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan into agency credits, which go towards covering the cost of food purchased for Wolverine Essentials! For every hour that a person volunteers, $.95 goes towards Wolverine Essentials’ account with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan.
For more information on volunteering with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, please contact their Volunteer Coordinator, Keri Brack, at [email protected] or by calling 810-396-0210.
Food, Clothing, or Supply Drive
Interested in hosting a drive to gather items for Wolverine Essentials? If so, contact us directly at [email protected].