Ohio State students, leaders mark Monda Student Resource Center opening

The Ohio State University has opened the Monda Student Resource Center to prepare students for success by ensuring that their food, housing and clothing needs are met. Ohio State students, faculty and staff were joined by community members in celebrating the center’s opening with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on April 25.

Located in Ohio State’s Younkin Success Center, 1640 Neil Ave., the center’s purpose is to meet students’ essential needs by providing resources and support from campus and community partners, said Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr.

“At Ohio State, we’re proud to offer a wide range of support services to our students, faculty and staff. But the reality is, we are a big university, and that means it can be hard for students to get the seamless, timely, holistic services that they need,” he said.

“The Monda Center will break down those barriers. Buckeye students will now have a one-stop shop to access the full menu of services we provide, from clothing to food to emergency financial assistance, support for parenting students and community resources. There’s no doubt in my mind this will have a positive impact on students’ ability to stay in school and finish their degree.”

A gift from Ohio State alumnus Keith Monda, ’68, ’71 MA, and his partner, Veronica Brady, made the new center possible.

“A number of you have asked why this particular course is especially important to us in our philanthropy,” Brady said. “We believe in leveling the playing field and providing opportunities for all.”

Monda said an experience he had during his time as a graduate student at Ohio State solidified his emphasis on giving.

“A neighbor left a note on my door asking to borrow a few dollars because her children hadn’t eaten. I still have the note today,” he said. “We keep it taped inside a kitchen cabinet door. It’s just a daily reminder that you never know who needs a helping hand, and that we can try to help.”

The center includes the Buckeye Food Alliance (BFA) food pantry. Founded and operated by Ohio State students, the BFA works to reduce the impacts of food insecurity through outreach efforts, said Melissa Shivers, senior vice president for Student Life.

“The organization’s founder, Alec Admonius, and all the early members believe that fellow students can make a difference in the lives of their classmates, a belief that continues with many student volunteers present here,” she said. “Their vision was that no Buckeye goes hungry, and today we can add so much more to that idea. Like gently used professional attire and accessories, which we have been providing free to students since 2015.”

The center includes the Reid Family Career Closet, which is named in recognition of donors Allyson and James Reid. The closet provides free clothing for students to wear to job interviews, internships and networking events. The center collects professional clothing donations and makes them available to students at no cost.

The center also serves as a hub for a variety of campus and community resources, from academic counseling to career consulting to services for students with disabilities to emergency financial assistance.

“We can give Ohio State students the opportunity to look and feel their best as they go out on the job search process,” Shivers said. “We can give community partners a venue to meet students, quite literally, where they are and offer the services that they need at just the right time. The Monda Student Resource Center will be truly transformational for this campus community.”

The center aims to meet the needs of the 32% of Ohio State students who experience food insecurity, according to a 2024 Office of Student Life survey. During fiscal year 2024, the BFA reported more than 8,500 visits, a 31% increase over fiscal year 2023.

The food pantry is open to all Ohio State students and provides fresh produce, pantry staples, meat and dairy products, personal care items and more. 

“From a student’s perspective, knowing about these resources and having a localized space to access them will make all the difference,” said Lindsey Long, an environmental public health major. “Essential needs can vary between person to person, but finding an institution like Ohio State that is able to support its students in this capacity is extraordinary. As students, we all want to show up looking and feeling our best, whether that’s in class, at a job interview, or while pursuing our biggest goals.”

Any undergraduate, graduate or professional student with a valid Buck ID can use the pantry.

“To thrive personally and academically, a student must have access to the basic needs of not just food, but also housing, clothing and more. One of the barriers that students can face when accessing these resources is having to tell their story repeatedly,” said BFA Vice President Vishva Bhavsar, a neuroscience major. “It can be demoralizing to describe over and over why you need a resource or service that you really do not want to need. The center will create a one-stop location for a wide variety of basic needs and essential services.”