How alumna Dr. Virginia Ayres’ generosity is nourishing Eastern students through the Eagle’s Essentials Food and Hygiene Pantry
Dr. Virginia "Gina" (Frendzel) Ayres '84 remembers her time at Eastern with fondness. Walking the campus with friends, studying on the benches near Walton Pond, and learning from professors who lived out their faith daily were all core memories of her college journey. “It’s an exquisite campus experience,” she reflects. “The vibrant atmosphere, the students, the teachers, all passionate about their faith and seeking truth.”
While majoring in psychology and biology, Gina worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. She cleaned bathrooms in Kea Hall, worked in the library and cafeteria, and eventually served as a Resident Assistant. “Back then, I had about ten dollars a month total in spending money to meet basic food, travel, clothes, and textbook bills. I know what it feels like to be a student trying to make ends meet.” This experience, along with her PhD in psychology, gave her insight into how food insecurity affects students today.
That firsthand experience inspired her support for Eastern’s Eagle’s Essentials Food and Hygiene Pantry, an initiative created to provide meals, snacks, and hygiene items for students facing food insecurity. “It immediately struck me as such a clever and much-needed endeavor,” she says. “If someone is hungry, it is difficult to focus on studies. It is necessary to meet their basic needs first.”
After learning more about the pantry through an article in Eastern Magazine, Gina connected with Sally Kapner, Office Manager for Student Development. Sally recalls meeting Gina and quickly discovering a shared history at Eastern. Sally reflects on how Gina’s giving embodies the words of 1 John 3:17–18: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.” Sally has helped support the pantry by coordinating volunteers, organizing donations, and ensuring students’ needs are met, helping make donors’ generosity even more effective.
Last spring, Gina initiated a donor matching challenge on Eastern’s Day of Giving that totaled $50,000 to help the pantry grow and remain stocked with essentials for students. She frequently checks in with the team and has even visited the campus to see the pantry in person.
“People tend to be receptive to God’s message of love when they feel seen and cared for, and the pantry offers that tangible care.”
Over the years, the pantry has evolved from a small student-led initiative into a welcoming space where students can access food, toiletries, and encouragement. Gina hopes it continues to grow in both reach and spirit. “I want students to walk into the pantry and feel joy knowing there is care and support available.”
Her commitment goes beyond financial support; it is also about inspiring others to contribute. Gina hopes her classmates and fellow alumni will see the value in supporting this venture. “If everyone does a little bit, it adds up,” she says. “It is lovely that students know the Eastern community fully supports this ministry of service. Eastern is an extraordinary place where students have the opportunity to grow in spirit and in faith. I want to help preserve that for generations to come by helping to ease food and hygiene insecurity.”
Through initiatives like Eagle’s Essentials, Gina’s generosity ensures that students have the support they need to succeed, both academically and personally. Her actions reflect the enduring legacy of Eastern: a community that nurtures its members in faith, care, and service, inviting others to continue that cycle. Gina’s favorite verse is 2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
Now, in partnership with Eastern, Dr. Ayres is launching a second matching challenge of $25,000 for the Eagle’s Essentials Food and Hygiene Pantry with the goal of endowing $100,000 to ensure long-term support for students in need. With Gina’s contributions, the fund is already at $65,000. Now, alumni have the opportunity to help meet the challenge, ensuring that every student feels supported, cared for, and part of this extraordinary community.
As students walk the paths of Eastern today, the care and generosity of alumni help ensure that the spirit of the campus, with its warmth, community, and support, remains alive for generations to come.