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3 Things I’ve Learned Through Being a Bear Pantry GA

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Hi, I’m Natalie, and I’ve worked at the Bear Pantry for the past nine months. I’m the one who’s written all these blogs you’ve been reading this past academic year. I’m also graduating this week (yay, go me!), and this is my last blog to write. So, I thought it was appropriate to share what I’ve learned. I could probably name a hundred, but for the sake of keeping it a readable blog, I’ve narrowed it down to three. 

Food pantries require adaptability. 

The Bear Pantry relies on food banks, donations, volunteers, and a million other tiny details to serve our members. If one of those variables falls short, we will find one way or another to make it work.  For example, Monday mornings are our days to unload, scan, and stock the 1200-pound orders from our local food bank (shoutout Ozarks Food Harvest!). It’s a hectic process yet operates like a well-oiled machine. But if no volunteers show up? Time to pivot! Our team prioritizes items to distribute and saves the rest for when we have more time.  

Being a donation-based service, some months we are way more stocked than others. During November (Homecoming Drive) and April (Greek Week’s food drive) we were distributing about 200% of our normal amount. With donations, we then get creative on how to backstock items to provide consistent distributions during the week. You gotta be adaptable! 

This resource is needed  

People have walked through the Bear Pantry’s doors over 11,000 times this past year…that’s like the whole town (Harrisonville, Nevada, or Poplar Bluff) coming to PSU 140.

I didn’t realize just how. Many. People. Use. The. Pantry. People have walked through the Bear Pantry’s doors over 11,000 times this past year. Let that sink in. If you know any of the Missouri towns Harrisonville, Nevada, or Poplar Bluff, that’s like the whole town coming to PSU 140. 

The Bear Pantry has a stellar team. 

We have workers who truly care about making the Bear Pantry more accessible, available, and dignified. Not only is the work culture supportive, positive, and fun-loving, so is our approach to members. The Bear Pantry team has its members on the forefront of our minds as we seek to improve our services. It’s a culture of innovation, and I’m excited to see where it goes from the other side (as an alumni x2). 

If you’ve read until here, wow. I’m glad you did. I hope you’ve gained a new appreciation for this campus resource! I will miss working for the Bear Pantry!

Get involved here!

Fun-to-Knows with the Bear Pantry

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We are officially past the halfway point of the semester! As we head into Spring Break, here are some updates and fun-to-knows about your university’s food pantry.

Pantry Updates

Last semester, we received a grant from Swipe Out Hunger, the nation’s largest non-profit organization to support university food pantries, allowing us to purchase an additional refrigeration unit for the Bear Pantry! It is housed in the backroom and has been used to store cold overstock items like eggs and bakery items. The new fridge will support additional food to restock the main fridges throughout the week, allowing us to serve over 350 people weekly.

Fun Facts

Now for some interesting facts and tidbits about the Bear Pantry!

Bear Pantry’s Beginnings and Milestones
  • The Bear pantry was founded in 2019 as a continuation of a project Alex Johnson, Director of the CCE, was working on with a graduate student. Since its conception, the Bear Pantry has seen steady growth. We now distribute over seven times the amount of food and have almost four times the number of members as our first year!
  • We obtain our food through several ways. Ozarks Food Harvest is our main food supplier, and we use donated money to purchase food items. We also partner with Campus Gardens; they donate fresh produce during growing seasons. Donations also drive our supply through drives, campus donation bins, and anonymous gifts through our Amazon Wishlist.
  • We receive grant funding through the Student Sustainability Fund which has supported a significant part of our operations.
Bear Pantry’s Longest Staff Member
  • Our longest staff member is our Area Manager, Reish Burnett, who has served with us for three years. His study in dietetics compliments his work at the Bear Pantry where he manages the hydroponics towers, emphasizes food safety, and focuses on nutritious food purchases for the Pantry. Reish graduates with his bachelor’s degree in Nutrition & Dietetics this May and will continue with his studies in the Accelerated Master’s in Nutrition & Dietetics.
Handy Hacks for Pantry Basics

Let us know which handy hack is your favorite!

  • Use instant potatoes instead of cream to thicken soups
  • Swap applesauce or yogurt for eggs in baked items – but swing by the Bear Pantry if you run out of eggs!
  • Rinse canned vegetables and beans to reduce the sodium level
  • Use powdered milk as protein powder (8 grams protein in a ¼ cup of powder)
  • Microwave thinly sliced zucchini or squash to make veggie chips
  • Use a mason jar ring to make perfectly round eggs on the stovetop
  • When opening a food can, poke holes in the bottom to remove the vacuum seal for the can to completely empty
  • Bake, instead of boil, whole eggs in the oven to make hard boiled eggs
  • Opening new jars – dent the edge of the lid with a butterknife handle to release some air to allow for seamless opening

Past/Upcoming events

  • MoState Ag students, faculty, staff, and friends helped drive food distribution over the weekend at their annual Darr Difference Day by filling 300 snack packs for the Bear Pantry! Swing by during open hours to grab one!
  • Teaching Kitchens – another event is coming up March 27th hosted by dietetics graduate Betsy Whitehurst! Register here.
  • Greek Week’s annual donation drive for the Bear Pantry is April 13-18th! Last year, philanthropies raised an incredible $60,000 worth of food and hygiene items that greatly supported our operations. Donated goods will be distributed throughout the following weeks.
  • If you’re having trouble finding time to visit us, remember the Pantry’s after-hours on Mondays from 5-7pm and Tuesdays from 5-5:30pm.

 

Donations Drives Support the Bear Pantry This November

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Donation drives are making a major impact on the Bear Pantry this November. 

Two separate events brought in 482 pounds of food—totaling 728 individual items—to be distributed to Bear Pantry members, strengthening food security on campus. 

During Halloween, nutrition and music Bears joined forces in a neighborhood-wide effort to support their campus community. Members of Mu Phi Epsilon and the Student Dietetic Association (SDA) partnered to build a bridge between the Rountree neighborhood and Missouri State University. 

The week before Halloween, students went door to door informing residents about the donation drive, giving them time to gather items. On Halloween night, 25 students took to the streets, greeted by smiling faces and generous hands as dozens of Rountree residents contributed food to help fellow Bears.

Trick or Soup Donations

 

With the same spirit of generosity, the Laboratory Theatre Company (LTC) hosted a donation drive during their showing of Out!, written by MSU alum Arden Dickson. The production—focused on college student experiences—was paired with a meaningful opportunity to give back. For every performance, LTC partners with a local nonprofit to promote community engagement and social impact. 

LTC Donations

Together, these collaborative efforts resulted in nutritious food going into the hands of Bear Pantry members, reinforcing the ongoing commitment of Missouri State students to support one another through service and compassion. 

Want to make an impact too? The Office of Enrollment Management is hosting a campus-wide donation drive, “Bears Can-Do”, to support food security amidst the growing challenges individuals are facing. Check out their blog to get involved. 

The Bear Pantry extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who has donated. Your collaboration embodies what it means to be a Bear—supporting one another through action and compassion. 

Athletics Makes an Impact for Bear Pantry Community

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On October 3rd, student athletes scored a big win in a meaningful way.

Families, fans, and students gathered on Missouri State’s turf to cheer on four athletic home events including swimming & diving, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, and men’s soccer. At the same time, Beth Perine and the acrobatics & tumbling team welcomed donations for the Bear Pantry.

“I wanted to help expand awareness of the Bear Pantry and how it helps the students, faculty, and staff.” Beth Perine, former softball coach and current athlete academic advisor, notes. She also wanted to provide her student-athletes with an opportunity to make an impact in the community.

A collaborative effort, athletic teams and the athletic department shared the message on social media to market the drive.

900+ shelf-stable items were donated to the Bear Pantry.

When Sydney Wilson, the Director of Student-Athlete Development, heard about the event, she jumped at the opportunity to get the Bears Leadership Institute, an athletic leadership development program, involved as well.

The following Monday during their regular meeting times, 17 student-athletes and facilitators filled the Pantry with laughter and hard work to process the donations from the drive. “We have strong athletes. We hauled everything over to the [Bear Pantry] and put people to work…getting athletes involved and giving back,” said Sydney.

Bears Leadership athletes pose with food

“The Bears Leadership event helped our Bear Pantry team a lot following such a big donation drive. It’s a process to haul, sort, inventory, and stock the shelves with so many items. We appreciated their help,” said Natalie Barbieri, Graduate Assistant for the Bear Pantry.

“We have strong athletes. We hauled everything over to the Bear Pantry and put people to work…Getting athletes involved and giving back”

“My favorite part of the event was taking inventory… it was awesome to see the pantry go from just a few items on the shelves to being fully stocked. It was super fun to work with my teammates and the athletic leadership team to refill the pantry,” Evie Kolb, a junior on the swimming & diving team.

Looking back at the event, Beth loved seeing the interaction between the student athletes and the people donating. People were grateful for the opportunity to donate, and the student-athletes expressed gratitude for their donations in return.

People were grateful for the opportunity to donate, and the student-athletes expressed gratitude for their donations in return.

Some people came up to Beth and mentioned how they remember their college years and being hungry sometimes. “There was a lot of ramen going on”, they said. They were happy to help diminish that experience for students.

Highlights

  • Beth Perine hosted a food drive for the Bear Pantry during several home athletic events on October 3rd.
  • Over 900 items were donated to the Bear Pantry.
  • Following the food drive, athletes and faculty from the Bears Leadership Institute processed and stocked donated items in the Bear Pantry.

Support the Bears at MSU’s upcoming sports events!

Visit the Bear Pantry!

3 Ways to Use & Support the Bear Pantry during Flu Season

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The cold, dry air may weaken immune responses and encourage the spread of viruses; however, here are three contactless ways to support or utilize the pantry during the winter months.  

1. Online Ordering for Easy Access  

At the Bear Pantry, we offer two methods for shopping: in-person and online ordering  

If you aren’t feeling well but are still in need of items from the pantry, fill out this form to place an online order and schedule a pick-up time. 

You can even message our pantry number (417-986-1915) to let us know when you arrive, and a staff member will bring your items to the parking lot outside of University Hall for a simple and safe experience.  

2. Check out our Amazon Wishlist 

Interested in donating to the Bear Pantry, but stuck at home in quarantine? Pick an item from our Amazon Wishlist to purchase and donate. This simple action can easily take an item from your cart to the pantry shelves.  

3. Interact with the Bear Pantry on our social media platforms  

Stay up to date with the latest news at the Bear Pantry and Center for Community Engagement by following along on our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages. Share posts and links from our pages with friends, fellow students, faculty, or staff to spread the word about the pantry.  

Instagram: @mostatebearpantry

Facebook: MSU Bear Pantry

Twitter: @MSU_bearpantry