January Blog Post - Bear Pantry Updates - Community Engagement

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January Blog Post – Bear Pantry Updates

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Welcome back, Bears!

I hope you all had a great holiday season and are ready for another amazing semester here at MSU! We have been working hard at the Bear Pantry preparing for a successful semester serving our campus community. This blog post will highlight a few changes in the Bear Pantry as well as upcoming events and volunteer information.

Hope Note Service

We started the semester with a Hope Note Service Activity at the PSU Staff Retreat. Together, the PSU staff spent time writing notes for Ozarks Food Harvest’s (OFH) Weekend Backpack Program. OFH’s goal is to have 70,000 notes written by volunteers going to elementary students throughout the Southwest Missouri area in the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, this service activity is available to students and student organizations. In short, check out the section on “volunteering” below for more information.

Spring 2025 Semester Hours
  • Monday: 1pm-5pm
  • Tuesday: 10am-5pm
  • Wednesday: 10am-5pm
  • Thursday: 10am-5pm
  • Friday: Closed (except for Produce Pop-Ups or E-pack distribution)
Bear Pantry Set-Up

Due to increased traffic through the Bear Pantry, we have made modifications to the check-in and check-out stations to better help flow of members and increase the quality of shopping experience. The check-in and check-out processes are the same, however, location has changed.

  • Check-In through the north doors at the desk with an AmeriCorps worker.
  • Check-Out at one of three designated stations using the same checkout form and process.
  • Eggs Distribution Station: the egg distribution station has been set-up to ensure that equitable distribution is achieved for all members throughout the week. If a member needs a carton of eggs, simply ask an AmeriCorps member at the desk in front of the produce/egg station.
  • Product Limits: as of late last semester, the team has decided to implement a general product limit of one of each item per member. For example: one box of spaghetti noodles or one can of soup. There are exceptions to this guideline and those will be posted on a case-by-case basis throughout the pantry. By making this change, we are hopeful that more members will be able to receive food assistance throughout the week.
Upcoming Events
  • January 20, 2025: Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Pantry Closed
  • February 17, 2025: President’s Day – Pantry Closed
  • March 17-21, 2025: Spring Break – Pantry Closed
  • March 25-26, 2025: Giving Day
  • March 31-April 4, 2025: Greek Week
  • April 18, 2025: Good Friday – Pantry Closed
  • May 5-8, 2025: Finals Week – Pantry Open; Check Hours
  • May 9, 2025: Graduation Day – Pantry Closed
Volunteering
  • Monday Restocking: Every Monday, the Bear Pantry gets the weekly order. This is our most consistent volunteering event for students to participate in. Based on delivery or pick-up weeks, the time will change (see below).
    • 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month: pick-up orders; 11am
    • 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month: delivery orders; 8:30am
  • Hydroponics Harvesting: This event varies more depending on growth of the plantings. Check GivePulse regularly to see availability of this event. Most events will take place on Wednesday afternoons.
  • Hope Notes: One of the large programs offered at OFH is the Weekend Backpack Program, which provides elementary school-aged children with supplemental non-perishable goods to last all weekend. Within this program, they include a Hope Note in each of the packs so children have a little note of encouragement each time they receive their food.
    • Contact Samantha Selsor (sgs823@live.missouristate.edu) to inquire about Hope Notes, including the number of students in your group (and any additional information you deem necessary).
    • Schedule a time to come by the Bear Pantry to pick-up supplies (kits as pictured above include colored cardstock, stickers, crayons, markers, and colored pencils).
    • Host your Hope Note making event! (If your group requires meeting space, we can schedule that in the PSU, please include this information in the initial email to Samantha).
    • When you are finished, bring all supplies and completed notes to the Bear Pantry—we will take care of delivery to OFH.
  • All volunteer opportunities are posted on our GivePulse website: https://www.givepulse.com/group/119561-Bear-Pantry

 

Have a great semester and don’t forget to follow us on social media!  

  • Instagram: @mostatebearpantry & @mostatecce 
  • TikTok: @bearpantry 
  • Like us on Facebook: Bear Pantry  
  • YouTube: @mostatebearpantry  
  • LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bearpantrymsu