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Spring Break Recap

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Welcome back Bears, while classes were out of session, the Center for Community Engagement got to work. Here are a few highlights from last week:  
Bear Pantry 

AmeriCorps members stepped in to keep the Bear Pantry open throughout the week of Spring Break. This allowed students and staff who were still in town to utilize this resource.  

In addition to staffing the pantry, AmeriCorps members reorganized our back stock areas and storage spaces & assisted in setting up our brand-new freezer! 

Service Days

Our director, Alex Johnson, arranged service opportunities for students to contribute to if staying in town over break. Students volunteered at Rare Breed Youth Services which is a local program supporting homeless youth. The Kitchen, Inc. is the non-profit organization that oversees this program.

At Rare Breeds, student volunteers were able to assist in quality control of items the organization recently received from a clothing drive.

For service opportunities or more information on Rare Breeds or the Kitchen, Inc check out their website.

We hope you all enjoyed your Spring Break and are ready to finish the school year!

Giving the Bear Pantry a Green Thumbs Up

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What Are Hydroponics?  

Hydroponic systems allow plants to be grown without the use of soil. Instead, they utilize light, water, and a fertilizer solution which means they can be grown indoors. The Tower Gardens at the Bear Pantry are an aeroponic style system that will only use about 2% of the water that is typically required in traditional farming. These unique systems conserve water while increasing produce growth by 3%.  

How Will They Be Used at the Bear Pantry? 

The hydroponic systems will be kept at the Bear Pantry. Indoor systems can grow plants year-round which will allow more produce to be available during winter months when the MSU Campus Garden’s harvest begins to slow.  

Fresh produce items are some of the most sought-after products stocked at the Bear Pantry.  Fruits and vegetables in this form tend to be more appealing and flavorful while also being more expensive at the store, making them less accessible. Fresh produce can also be served in ways that frozen and canned items cannot – salads are a fitting example as frozen greens aren’t able to make a crisp salad base.

We hope to start off our hydroponics by growing leafy greens and add a variety of other plants as time goes on.  

How Will We Get There?

We are need of students with hydroponic knowledge or experience to help us start our systems, please email the Bear Pantry team (bearpantry@missouristate.edu) if interested.  

Students who participate in this project would receive volunteer hours for time spent at the pantry setting up the system and educating staff on growing procedures.  

Follow along to learn what’s happening at the pantry on our social platforms – @mostatebearpantry on Instagram, MSU Bear Pantry on Facebook, and @MSU_BearPantry on Twitter. 

Protein at the Bear Pantry

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Protein is the nutrient that we use to build and repair cells throughout our entire body—our muscles, hair, skin, nails, and even our metabolism and hormones are all influenced by protein. 

Not only does protein play these important roles inside cells, but it also helps us in our day-to-day hunger. Protein aids in satiety, which means we feel fuller for longer from our meals. Especially for those of us who are on a limited budget for food, feeling less hungry & staying satisfied from our meals is so important! 

The Bear Pantry offers many protein-rich foods to help you get what your body needs, including:  

Animal sources 

  • Milk
  • Yogurt
  • Cheese 
  • Eggs 
  • Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon, sausage) 
  • Spam 
  • Beef ravioli 

Plant sources 

  • Beans (black, kidney, lentils, red, white, chickpeas) 
  • Nut butters 
  • Nuts and trail mix 
  • Grains: quinoa, farro 

Here are 3 tips to help get enough protein in your day: 

  1. Whatever the source, try to include a protein source with every meal in some way. Having scrambled eggs with cheese for breakfast, putting canned meat or cheese in a sandwich, eating yogurt with your fruit, and adding milk as an ingredient (or a drink on the side) are all easy ways to up your protein.
  2. Animal proteins (meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs) typically pack more punch when it comes to protein content. Our bodies can use that protein very efficiently. If you aren’t a vegetarian or vegan, incorporating animal protein is a great way to get in your protein each day.
  3. At first glance, a lot of non-animal products might not seem to have as much protein—but combining two of them in a meal helps to boost that number and creates complementary proteins. Pairing complementary proteins provides all the essential building blocks your body needs to be a full and nutritious protein source. It’s a win-win! 
    • Some common combinations are rice and beans, hummus and bread, peanut butter on whole grain crackers, and soup with lentils and noodles. 

 Bear Pantry is here to help you meet your protein needs, stay strong, and keep you feeling full and satisfied! Our current hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 10am-3pm, and Wednesday from 12pm-5pm. Come see us to find out more and stock up for the week.

2 Opportunities to Reduce Food-Insecurity within the Missouri State Community

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1. AmeriCorps at Missouri State University  

A new AmeriCorps Program – R.E.L.I.E.F.  (Recovering from Covid-19 through Education, Local partnerships, Interdisciplinary Efforts, and Food assistance) – will be launching in Spring 2022 on MSU’s campus.  

Housed within the Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning departments, 10 AmeriCorps positions are open for anyone 17 years of age or older. 

Why serve with AmeriCorps at Missouri State University?  

This position will support the Bear Pantry at MSU with the goal of making healthy food accessible to the MSU community.  

A few responsibilities of this position include: 

  • Developing monthly healthy lifestyle and nutrition workshops 
  • Conducting real-time needs assessments  
  • Assisting in the pantry’s coordination, expansion, and sustainability in the Missouri State University campus and in the greater Springfield community 

What does the AmeriCorps position offer?  

Education award, disaster relief training, and a monthly living allowance with 30 working hours per week.  

Who is eligible to become an AmeriCorps member?  

To serve with AmeriCorps, applicants must be:  

  • 17 years old or older 
  • U.S. citizen or permanent resident  
  • Able to commit to 30 hours/week from February 1, 2022 to July 31, 2022 

How to apply for AmeriCorps at Missouri State University?  

Email your resume and cover letter to AlexJohnson@MissouriState.edu  

2. Student Leadership at the Bear Pantry  

Not Sure that AmeriCorps is for you, but still interested in involvement with the Bear Pantry?  

The Bear Pantry is adding new student leadership positions in the spring semester. Undergraduate students enrolled at MSU are eligible to join the BP Team. Fill out this quick form and a Bear Pantry staff member will be in contact with you in January 2022!  

Spotlight – FSL Supports the Bear Pantry

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Right before Thanksgiving Break, FSL officially set a new record for our largest donation yet at 2,084 pounds! Many of the donated items were canned goods, along with other non-perishable foods like pasta, peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, and more. This is a great example of what it looks like to be a Citizen Bear!

All of the items in the Bear Pantry are supplied through donations. Big or small, each donation matters! Thank you to FSL and to all of the Bear Pantry’s donors for supporting student success. We are so thankful for each of you!