Augusta University
Stacey Hudson
When the late Dr. Nancy Young told Georgia Dental Association (GDA) President Dr. Peter Shatz that she was giving money to students so they could stock their home pantries, Dr. Shatz saw an opportunity.
“I knew we could fix this unmet need with a food pantry,” he said. (Photo gallery at bottom)
That conversation planted the seed for the GDA Food Pantry. GDA officers and employees visited the DCG on Friday, Sept. 11, to establish and stock the DCG Student Learning Center. The pantry provides shelf-stable foods, quick meal options and other essentials at no cost to students, with student feedback helping determine what is stocked.
Students will find college staples like ramen and macaroni and cheese alongside options such as spiced lentils and protein-rich soups.
For DCG Interim Dean Dr. Theresa S. Gonzales, the pantry is a powerful expression of what it means to be part of a profession built around caring for others.
“At the Dental College of Georgia, our students are pouring their hearts, minds and futures into mastering a discipline dedicated to caring for others and caring for them in return is our highest collective responsibility,” Gonzales said. “Nutrition is a fundamental requirement for clinical excellence, mental well-being and academic focus.”
Dental school is demanding academically, clinically and financially. For students experiencing food insecurity, that pressure can become even greater. Research has linked inadequate access to food with increased stress, anxiety, depression and academic difficulties.
The pantry offers a practical solution to a very human need, along with the reassurance that someone noticed and cared enough to help.
“The GDA Food Pantry is an incredible collaboration with an organization that has long championed dentists, dental students and oral health across Georgia,” said Dr. Greg Griffin, DCG associate dean for student affairs and alumni. “Their generous support represents the exclamation point on a passion project that began under the leadership of Dean Nancy Young.”
Young envisioned a welcoming space where students could find help with food insecurity while also grabbing a snack during a busy day of dental school. The Student Learning Center on the second floor brought part of that vision to life. The GDA Food Pantry completes the picture.
“She dreamed of providing a space where students could receive support with dignity and feel a sense of community,” Griffin said. “I know she would be thrilled to see her vision culminate in this partnership with the GDA and its member dentists across the state who have stepped forward so generously to help our students.”
The partnership also carries a special connection across generations of Georgia dentists. GDA President-elect Dr. Erik Wells (DMD, 1994) is a DCG alum who once navigated the same demanding path as today’s students. Now, as a practicing dentist and GDA leader, he is helping support those who will follow him.
“The leadership at the GDA are all aligned on this,” Wells told students at the opening celebration. “We are all looking for things to do to help you.”
That is the heart of the pantry.
“This pantry reflects the very best of our profession: students supporting one another, alumni giving back and the Georgia Dental Association investing in the success and well-being of future dentists,” Griffin said.
At the pantry’s launch, Gonzales offered a simple message of gratitude.
“No one should have to be hungry,” she said. “The frenetic pace of dental school doesn’t allow these to be great nutrition years for our students. On behalf of a grateful college, we thank the GDA and all its members who came today to found and supply this food pantry.”
The GDA Food Pantry is more than a place to find food. It is a profession looking after its future. Today, Georgia dentists are caring for students who are learning to care for others. One day, those students will have the opportunity to do the same for the generation that follows.
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