Ranger Co-Op offers free food, professional clothing on campus

From snacks to slacks — and many nutritious and fashionable needs in between — the Ranger Co-Op is taking over as the one-stop-shop for Regis students to pick up food and professional clothing. Starting in January, the co-op, which will be located in the Coors Life Directions Center, will offer a place to pick up these essentials free of charge. 

The co-op will take over for the Regis Cupboard, which is currently located on the first floor of the Dayton Memorial Library. Director of Military and Veterans Services Fletcher Brown, who oversees the co-op, has worked closely with Center for Career and Professional Development Director Sarah Smith and both of their teams to develop the concept. In the past year-and-a-half, the cupboard has experienced a 300 percent growth in the number of students who visit the pantry, Brown said. With an increase of that size, Brown said he began looking for a new space on campus to offer free food to those who need it. The co-op is also open to faculty and staff.

“That means there are probably more out there that we don't know that need food,” Brown said.

In addition to food, the co-op will offer professional clothing to students who are in the process of building their careers, from attending internship interviews to starting new jobs. The idea to offer students access to professional clothing was born out of a conversation between Brown and Smith. Smith, whose office offers professional support to students, often found that students needed access to clothes that are appropriate for interviews and work, which can get expensive.

With the move also comes a new look — and a chance to create a more welcoming space for visitors. Instead of waiting in a long line to shop in the library’s basement, visitors can pop in to pick out the items they need.

“My idea was to make this more of a convenience store type of thing, where you're popping in, it's light, it's bright, it's full of food. There are friendly folks,” Brown said. “It could be like you popped into a 7-Eleven and grabbed a snack. But (it’s) free. You don't pay for anything on the way out.”

Indeed, the co-op, surrounded by frosted windows, lets in plenty of natural light. Equipped with a refrigerator and more space for food, the co-op gives visitors a wide selection of essentials. Toward the back, is a closet that will hold professional clothing — and a changing room so that visitors may decide which looks best suit their needs.

The new space also will continue innovative practices, including a pick-up option that allows visitors to place their orders ahead of time. The University also offers a Mobile Food Pantry in partnership with the Food Bank of the Rockies on the first Tuesday of every month.

As the new and improved space takes shape, Regis has already received praise for its efforts to end hunger on campus. The University was recently designated as a Hunger Free campus by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, a status that means Regis will have access to additional benefits from the state. In addition to this support, the co-op has received grants from Sooper Credit Union, which covered the expenses of the closet. The Regis Physical Plant also offered financial support for the move.

The Ranger Co-Op will first launch with a soft opening on Jan. 16, when classes begin. A grand opening, featuring appearances by University leaders and the chance to grab a bite to eat, will be hosted at the co-op on Jan. 23.