About Abbas Bokhari

Executive Board Position: Facilities Director

Past Lion’s Pantry Experience: Lion’s Pantry Intern (2022-23)

Majors: Political Science

Minors: Philosophy and Global Security

Other 2023-2024 Involvement:

A Q&A with Abbas

1) What are you most excited about The Lion’s Pantry this year?

I am most excited to see the continued growth of The Lion’s Pantry. We made great progress this past academic year and I feel with our upcoming executive board we will continue to see great improvements made to the daily operations of The Lion’s Pantry.

2) What initiatives, campaigns, or goals would you like to see during the 2023-24 academic year?

Overall, The Lion’s Pantry is headed in the right direction, but I would like to see us work towards a more efficient storage system. I would also like to see us continue to build more community partnerships within Penn State and Centre County. Another initiative/campaign idea I have would be getting more THON orgs and committees involved in food drives with us. I see this as an easy way to get donations from a large sample size of students and it is a good way to boost community engagement towards The Lion’s Pantry. Lastly, for Liberal Arts Ambassadors our board is currently looking for additional volunteer opportunities for our members and I would strongly encourage them to do volunteer shifts at The Lion’s Pantry.

3) Why should new students join The Lion’s Pantry?

As a collective, the work being done at The Lion’s Pantry has made a considerable impact towards addressing food insecurity at Penn State. I feel that as an intern that joining The Lion’s Pantry has allowed me to build great relationships while directly helping the Penn State community. New students have the opportunity to be a crucial part of the continued growth of The Lion’s Pantry’s operations. My time at The Lion’s Pantry has truly been humbling and I always look forward to my shifts every week. I recommend that any new student gets involved.

4) What does food insecurity mean to you?

To me food insecurity means a lack of consistent access to nutritious food. This cause is important to me because many college students struggle with food insecurity and this is no different at such a large institution like Penn State. Food insecurity has a detrimental impact on mental health and academic performance for students. None of my classmates at Penn State should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. I hope to help contribute towards the end of food insecurity at Penn State one day.

5) What excites you most about the position you hold for The Lion’s Pantry during the 2023-24 year?

As a Facilities Director, I am very excited to continue working with Heide and Julian to help maintain inventory and make informed decisions that best support the growth of The Lion’s Pantry. I feel that we already work well together and I am excited to see the results of our collective effort as a team.

6) Please share one of your favorite memories from The Lion’s Pantry.

I will never forget when Boxing Club gave us over 1000 pounds worth of donations towards the end of Spring Semester 2023. This was a sign to me that organizations at Penn State are taking notice of the work we are doing and I believe there is potential for us to keep developing and expanding relationships with Penn State student organizations.

Favorite Comfort Movie: Breaking Bad

Favorite Way to Unwind After a Long Day: Go to the gym and listen to music.

“Go-To” Fun Fact: I am an avid fan of mixed martial arts.