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Covenant Connections

Introducing Valkyrie Supply…

Mar 9, 2023

Introducing Valkyrie Supply: How the Creation of a Basic Needs Hub at Converse University Revealed a Communal Commitment to Love of Neighbor

By Rev. Eliza Smith DeBevoise, University Chaplain at Converse

I began as the University Chaplain at Converse in August of 2021. Very shortly into my time there, I started noticing that the small food pantry (run out of the Office of Spiritual Life) was receiving more and more traffic. By talking with my students, I began to realize that our small-scale model was not meeting the needs of the student body sufficiently. I partnered with Rebecca Parrish, our director of institutional grants, and we began researching food insecurity nationwide on college campuses.

By connecting with a national non-profit called Swipe Out Hunger, we were able tailor a food insecurity survey to the specifics of our university. I sent this out in January of 2022 and as we expected, our level of need was higher than our current model could address. Eventually, we decided to launch a basic needs hub at Converse, co-locating an expanded food pantry with personal hygiene products and a career closet. We named our project the “Valkyrie Supply”. Through community partners, individual donors and grants, we were able to raise over $30,000 to renovate a space in our student center to make this vision a reality. We had our Grand Opening on February 3rd and we are proud to now be able to offer more comprehensive supplemental support to our student body. We quickly learned that 1 in 3 college students are facing hunger nationwide (Why college hunger – Swipe Out Hunger – Swipe Out Hunger (swipehunger.org)).

As I began to create a sustainability plan for Valkyrie Supply, I started reaching out to community partners in the upstate area, asking if they’d be willing to cover a month each year for us by hosting a drive. We have been met with an overwhelming amount of support. While some of our community partners are local businesses and non-profits, many are local congregations who are committed to loving our students in a tangible way. Every month, faculty, staff, students and community members show up with bags of items we need to stock the shelves. Whether this is through a formal commitment or a casual trip to the grocery store, I have been overwhelmed by our community’s commitment to “do justice” on behalf of our student body.

In some ways, this project is a beautiful example of ecumenical mission at its best. More than that, though, this project has reminded me of the reality of our deep interconnectedness to one another. In order for the Valkyrie Supply to function, we are dependent upon our community’s love of neighbor. Made in the image of God, my students are the recipients of gifts from others who see the sacredness of their humanity and show up to help, no strings attached. Though it seems small, providing these basic needs to our students allows them to show up to all types of opportunities with confidence. I am proud of this effort and humbled by the outpouring of God’s love I’ve seen through this process.

To learn more about Valkyrie Supply, please feel free to visit Valkyrie Supply | Converse University | Spartanburg, SC. If you’re interested in becoming a community partner or have questions about our work, please reach out to us at spirituallife@converse.edu.

On Wednesday, March 15, the Rev. Eliza Smith DeBevoise will be discussing “Food Insecurities for College Students” with the Rev. Dr. Teri McDowell Ott from Presbyterian Outlook.  You can find this discussion on the Presbyterian Outlook Facebook page at 12:30 pm on March 15.

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Rev Eliza Smith DeBevoise is a Minister of Word and Sacrament in Foothills Presbytery serving in a Validated Ministry as the University Chaplain for Converse in Spartanburg, SC. Eliza is married to Rev John Daniel DeBevoise who is serving as an associate at First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg. Eliza is a 2016 graduate of Furman and a 2020 graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary. She loves the beach, tacos and her 11 year old dog, Morrison.