Community Engagement Blog

How we do community engagement at Missouri State

Home » Community Engagement » Missouri Public Affairs Academy

Utilizing the Bear Pantry to Build your Plate

by

At the Bear Pantry, we want to make every meal count! With many items available at the Bear Pantry, the options are endless.

To create a meal that is nutrient dense and diverse in food groups, we like to consider MyPlate as a guide. MyPlate is the federal government’s primary food group symbol. It was created to be a consumer-friendly guideline to help make healthy food choices.

Inclusion of food groups within the MyPlate guidelines:

Fruits

  • Important sources of essential nutrients including potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate.

Vegetables

  • Important sources of potassium, dietary fiber, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

Grains 

  • Important sources of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and several B vitamins.
  • Carbohydrates are the body’s main and preferred source of energy. It helps fuel your brain, kidneys, heart muscles, and central nervous system.

Protein

  • Protein is needed in the body to help repair cells and make new ones. Protein allows the body the ability to repair itself.

Dairy

  • Dairy contains calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12, protein, potassium, zinc, choline, magnesium, and selenium.
  • Calcium helps the body strengthen bones and teeth.

When shopping at the Bear Pantry, try keeping in mind the aspects of the MyPlate guidelines to create a balanced meal with the options available. Peaches, pears, or mixed fruit from the pantry can fulfill the fruit group. Fresh vegetables grown at the Campus Community Garden or canned green beans, canned carrots, and canned peas can be added to your plate to provide a vegetable. Items like bread and rice can be used to incorporate a grain. Options found in the Bear Pantry include canned chicken and canned beans, which are great sources of protein. Lastly, milk and yogurt can be used to fulfill the needs of dairy products within the diet.

Begin making every meal count at the Bear Pantry today! The Bear Pantry is open on Mondays 10 am- 3 pm, Tuesdays 10 am – 3 pm, Wednesdays 12 pm – 5 pm, and Thursdays 10 am- 3 pm. It’s a resource for all MSU students, staff, and faculty.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

by

November 13-21, 2021 is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. During this week, people come together across the country to bring attention to hunger and homelessness. In the United States, many Americans have to choose between which basic necessities they can afford for that day, week, month. For instance: 

  • 37.2 million Americans live below the poverty level.  
  • 44 million Americans are at risk of suffering from hunger.  
  • 580,000 are homeless on a typical night.
  • 1 in 6 children in the U.S. live in poverty. 

One way to address these issues are by taking action through volunteering! To find opportunities to serve, check out Give Pulse. Through Give Pulse you can find opportunities with the Bear Pantry, Campus Garden (which provides produce to the Bear Pantry), Hands of Hope (with Convoy of Hope), Drew Lewis Foundation, and more! 

Click here for more information in regards to Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

Information from: Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.  

Serve and Get Your Hands Dirty with Springfield Community Gardens

by

Are you looking for more opportunities to serve? Do you like getting your hands dirty? If so, think about serving for Springfield Community Gardens! Springfield Community Gardens provides numerous opportunities to serve at a garden, whether it be Brentwood Christian Church Community Garden, Amanda Belle’s Farm, Meador Community Gardens, Midtown Community Garden, or MSU’s Campus Garden.  

What you can expect from these opportunities is to plant, water, weed, and harvest produce. It is important to dress appropriately, wear closed toe shoes, bring a water bottle, and wear a mask. It doesn’t matter if you need service hours or simply want to give back, Springfield Community Gardens would love to have you! 

To sign up:  

https://www.givepulse.com/group/events/230640 

Public Affairs Mission: A blueprint for how we can work for the greater good

by

The Pat Walker Missouri Public Affairs Academy brings talented high school students from throughout the state together to develop their understanding of public affairs.  Judith Rowland, a 2005 Academy graduate and Missouri State University alum, was inducted into the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame in 2017.  She us an insight to how Public Affairs plays a role in her life now, and shared advice to future MPAA participants.

Learn more about Judith Rowland’s advocacy work

Judith Rowland participated in the Missouri Public Affairs Academy as a high school student. Her work continues to be rooted in public affairs.

  1. What impact did the Missouri Public Affairs Academy have on you as a high school student?

 

MPAA helped me to better understand how I can bring my passions together in a way that serves our state and the greater good. The Academy helped me connect the dots between the topics I was learning about in my high school and ways that I could use those lessons to help address poverty, homelessness, hunger and other issues impacting both our state and our world. As part of the academy I had an opportunity to form lasting relationships with other students from across the state – some of which endure now, 15 years later!

  1. The focus of MPAA is “working for the greater good.”  How do you integrate this and Public Affairs into your life?

My objective is to ensure that every aspect of my life, from my career to the way I spend my weekends, helps to benefit the communities I’m blessed to be part of. Missouri State’s focus on ethical leadership, community engagement and cultural competence is a strong blueprint for how we can each work for the greater good.

  1. What advice would you give Missouri high school juniors interested in MPAA?

Attending MPAA is a great opportunity to gain exposure to the many career paths that allow promising students in Missouri to have a positive impact on our state.

The MPAA has three main goals:

  • To help students understand their role as citizens working “for the greater good”
  • To provide a forum for discussion with distinguished speakers including community leaders, government officials, journalists, and university professors
  • To provide students with the leadership skills necessary to become actively involved in their communities

Working for the Greater Good: Pat Walker Missouri Public Affairs Academy went virtual in 2020

by

Each summer the Pat Walker Missouri Public Affairs Academy brings talented high school students from throughout the state together to develop their understanding of public affairs. The Academy combines presentations by guest speakers with discussions, activities and service projects, and gives students the opportunity to learn from talented and accomplished political and community leaders in the state.

The MPAA has three main goals:

  • To help students understand their role as citizens working “for the greater good”
  • To provide a forum for discussion with distinguished speakers including community leaders, government officials, journalists, and university professors
  • To provide students with the leadership skills necessary to become actively involved in their communities

The Academy went virtual in 2020

24 rising high school seniors from across the state of Missouri were selected to join the 2020 class via Zoom,Throughout the week (July 13-17), they discussed with community leaders and professors about how Public Affairs can be put to action.  Each student developed a Plan for the Greater Good, focused on addressing a personal issue of interest in their communities.

Collective Commitment

These student leaders developed the following collective commitment:

The class of 2020 is dedicated to bridging the gaps in our society to connect everyone in a united front for change.

24 rising high school seniors from across Missouri participated in the virtual Pat Walker Missouri Public Affairs Academy.

Takeaways from the class of 2020

We asked participants to share one take away from heir experience at the Missouri Public Affairs Academy.  Here are a few:

  • The Academy is so much more than one word.  It is an inspiration to all who are in it.  And all who are in it are able to go out and inspire others.
  • I learned a lot more in depth about what Public Affairs means and how I can connect with my community.  It was a great experience to meet all these people.  It was a wonderful experience for me.
  • MPAA was a lot of different things.  Its was very educational.  I was glad to meet people from all over Missouri to talk about our commitments.
  • The value of meaningful work really stood out to me. Although we weren’t in Springfield, we were working hard to keep each other accountable to create positive change.
  • There are many types of leaders – some lead with their voice, some lead by listening.  I learned that it’s okay to be a unique type of leader.
  • Community.  It was refreshing to work with people from across the state a build a new community.
  • This week I have come to immerse myself in ways that I did not think would be possible through an online platform.  I got comfortable with the uncomfortable and was able to step in my For the Greater Good Project. One phrase I came up for myself: desire to aspire to be someone you can hire.  We are able to be part of a greater good.
  • The value of empathy is so important.
  • There is a lot to say about the Academy.  It motivates me to know that there are people like me around the state who want to do good.
  • This Academy allowed me to adapt to new situations.  I learned what I was able to do with others and how I can use my strengths.
  • I am taking away the value of teamwork.  Creating change is as much a group thing as an individual thing.
  • I will take away the power of listening.  I was able to hear from leaders from everywhere and give and take a lot of good feedback.  Being respectful and open to others’ opinions this week was really helpful.
  • It was interesting to see the broad range of things to be changed in communities, and how we can play a role.
  • The Active Citizen Continuum helped me think about where I am in my community and where I want to be.
  • Perseverance!  As a group, we overcame the barriers that an online platform presents.  Even though we were not physically together, we were able to share about each other and our passions.
  • I really liked all the speakers.  It was awesome to see young people come together to share about addressing issues in their communities.
  • I learned the importance of stepping out of your bubble and seeing what you can do to grow your community.  Seeing things from a new prospective.