Florida State University’s Food for Thought Pantry has received its first-ever seven-figure donation to bolster efforts of addressing student food insecurity.
Brian Ballard – president of the lobbying firm Ballard Partners – and his wife Kathryn Ballard, and FSU alumna and member of the university’s Board of Trustees, recently made a $1 million gift to the pantry.
The philanthropic donation is also the largest investment that FSU’s Division of Student Affairs has ever received to date to help fight the growing need for student support.
“This extraordinary gift from Kathryn and Brian Ballard embodies the true spirit of the Florida State University community,” FSU President Richard McCullough said in a statement.
“Their generosity will make a lasting impact, helping us address the issue of student food insecurity and ensuring that our students have the resources they need to thrive academically and personally. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to our mission and for supporting our students’ success.”
Brian Ballard is a two-time graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a juris doctor (J.D.) law degree.
His global lobbying firm Ballard Partners serves clients around the world − specializing in all aspects of governmental and public affairs − with a total of nearly 20 offices in Washington DC, Florida, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, Nigeria and The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to the firm’s website.
Kathryn Ballard is a 1987 FSU graduate with a bachelor’s degree from what was then called the College of Human Science before becoming a part of the expanded Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health and Human Sciences.
“Our vision is to champion support for a state-of-the-art market where Florida State University students can confidently collect provisions as they pursue their degrees,” the couple said in a statement.
According to a recent American College Health Association survey, food insecurity is increasing on college campuses with nearly 45% of college students experiencing food insecurity across the country.
At FSU, the Food for Thought Pantry – established in 2009 to provide free access to dairy products, fresh produce and dry pantry staples, such as rice and mac and cheese – served 3,084 students a total of 22,175 times from January through Dec. 8 of last year, according to the university.
The data shows a 57.77% increase in students, on both the undergraduate and graduate levels, using the pantry over the previous year.
The Ballards’ gift will go toward the university’s pantry expansion efforts, where long-term plans include increasing services to assist more students while also increasing the facility’s square footage and storage capacity.
“We are extremely grateful to the Ballards for their generous gift and longstanding support to FSU and our students,” Amy Hecht, FSU’s vice president for Student Affairs, said in a university release. “Their commitment and compassion will enable students to focus on their academics and help ensure their path to graduation is unimpeded.”
Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Brian & Kathryn Ballard donate $1M to Food for Thought Pantry at FSU
Reporting by Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
