TCE staff members Frank Holiway, Christie Kennedy, and Beth Thrasher took an hour in March to volunteer at the Big Orange Pantry in Greve Hall. They unloaded a delivery, stocked shelves, and helped clean up the space. The volunteer opportunity was organized by the TCE Staff Advisory Council’s outreach/networking subcommittee.

A subject came up as they made their way back and forth through the pantry with their hands full—a need for doorstops to hold open all the doors.

Kennedy, TCE communications director, thought of a helpful item produced by the Innovation and Collaboration Studio (ICS). Tom Duong, ICS support specialist, often 3D prints doorstops that look like wedges of Swiss cheese.

“This cheese block means a lot to me,” said Duong, “When I first started printing, I needed some door wedges. I found this on the Internet and decide to print it. The next thing you know, people started asking me for their own. If you walk around UT and see these, chances are it came from the ICS.”

The cheese-wedge doorstops were delivered to the pantry and deployed successfully.

“I’m very thankful to have received these,” said Evan Oliver, coordinator at the Big Orange Pantry. “We have a lot of storage areas and a lot of doors that go along with those areas. We need to keep them open to get carts in and out, to get different supplies in and out, and to minimize touching due to COVID precautions.”

The Big Orange Pantry provides emergency food assistance for students, faculty, and staff attending or employed at UT. Read more about volunteering with the pantry through the Dean of Students website.