Community Engagement Blog

How we do community engagement at Missouri State

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Delta Dental Donation Supports Health and Wellness at the Bear Pantry

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The Bear Pantry at Missouri State University is expanding its impact, thanks to a generous in-kind donation from Delta Dental to the MSU Foundation. This thoughtful contribution of oral hygiene products—including dental floss, toothpaste, and toothbrushes—will be distributed through the Bear Pantry to support the health and wellness of our campus community.

CCE Student Specialist, McKennzee Newton, displays donated products.

Access to oral care products is a key component of overall wellness but is often overlooked in conversations about basic needs. By providing these essential hygiene items, Delta Dental is helping the Bear Pantry further its mission of reducing barriers and supporting student success.

“We’re grateful for Delta Dental’s commitment to supporting holistic student wellness,” said Alex Johnson, Director of the Center for Community Engagement. “This donation helps us serve our community more fully and ensures that Bear Pantry guests have access to both nutritious food and critical personal care items.”

The Bear Pantry serves all members of the Missouri State University community, including students, faculty, and staff. Together, with the support of partners like Delta Dental and the MSU Foundation, the Bear Pantry is advancing its mission to meet basic needs and build a stronger, healthier campus community.

For more information on how to donate or get involved with the Bear Pantry, visit https://www.missouristate.edu/CCE/bear-pantry.htm.

 

Half Way Through!

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Hey Bears – Angela here!

You’ve almost made it to midterms! Congrats!

Listed below are Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities within our area.

If you aren’t already signed up, Give Pulse and the Point App

are two great resources for finding local volunteer events.

If you have any questions, please email us –>  cce@missouristate.edu

Eden Village

Every THIRD Saturday of each month is a general work day at Eden Village. The more help the better! The time is from 9:00 to noon and we will even feed you pizza for lunch if you choose to stay! This work is mostly outdoors such as landscaping, gardening, painting, cleaning etc.

Location is at Eden Village 2 at 3155 W Brower. Hope to see you there!
Available Dates to Sign-up:
11/20/21
01/15/22
02/19/22
03/19/22

OATS, Inc. Fund-A-Bus Shoe Drive

OATS, Inc. Launches Fund-A-Bus Shoe Drive (Columbia, MO, October 30, 2017) – OATS, Inc., a Missouri-based non-profit company, is conducting a Fund-A-Bus shoe drive, which will run through the end of this year to raise money for a new bus. OATS will earn money based on the total weight of shoes collected, and hopes to collect more than 2,500 pair of shoes. OATS has partnered with Funds2Orgs, who will issue a check for the collected shoes. The money raised will go toward the 20% local match to purchase a new bus. Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used and new shoes at any OATS’ regional office or by giving to any OATS’ driver. Donated shoes are redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise partners. They work with micro-entrepreneurs in helping them create, maintain and grow small businesses in developing countries where economic opportunity and jobs are limited. Proceeds from the sales of the shoes collected in shoe drive fundraisers are used to feed, clothe and house their families. “We are excited about the shoe drive,” said Susan Streit, Volunteer Coordinator. “We raise money to help with the purchase of a new vehicle, plus we have the chance to help families in developing countries who need economic opportunities. It’s a win-win for everyone.” By donating gently worn, used and new shoes to OATS, the shoes will be given a second chance and make a difference in people’s lives around the world. OATS, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation providing transportation for the rural general public of all ages, to those with disabilities and senior citizens in 87 Missouri counties. Our services range from taking toddlers to pre-school, getting people to work each day, taking people to life-saving appointments, and shopping so they can continue to live independently in their own communities. OATS has grown to be one of the largest and most unique systems of its kind in the country. More information can be found at www.oatstransit.org. or email Susan at: sstreit@oatstransit.org. Reach out if you can help collect shoes.

Newspaper Reader

Audio-Reader is seeking volunteer readers for a daily (M-F) live broadcast of Springfield-area newspapers. Time commitment is once per week, 2.5 hours from 1:30-4pm. The broadcast will originate from the Missouri Council of the Blind Thrift Store, 2713 N Kansas Expy in Springfield. Auditions will be held there January 23-24, 2018. For more info or to schedule an audition, call Jennifer at 785-864-4604 or email jnigro@ku.edu.
Positions
20 Remaining
Age Limit
18 and up
Requirement Details
Volunteers must pass an audition consisting of a 100 word pronunciation test and a series of reading samples. Auditions will be held January 23-24. Contact Jennifer at 785-864-4604 or jnigro@ku.edu to schedule.
Road To Recovery- American Cancer Society

Road To Recovery is an American Cancer Society program designed to help improve the quality of life and reduce barriers to care for cancer patients undergoing active treatment by transporting them to and from cancer-related treatment appointments.

The Road To Recovery Volunteer driver can help provide people with transportation to and from their cancer-related treatment appointments. Drivers donate their time and the use of their personal vehicles to help ensure that people with cancer get the treatments they need. Volunteer drivers are also there to show support and provide information and resource referrals coordinated through the American Cancer Society.

Responsibilities include:

·         Follows program guidelines and maintains required volunteer eligibility requirements.

·         Provides ride(s) as agreed upon.

·         Verification of completed COVID-19 vaccination status

·         Completes all necessary transportation documentation information.

·         Reports all changes with contact information, availability, insurance coverage and driving eligibility to the Society in a timely manner.

·         Reports traffic accidents and violations to the Society within 24 hours of occurrence.

·         Abides by the Society’s privacy and confidentiality policies.

·         Internet access.

Positions
10 Remaining
Requirement Details

Volunteer Driver Qualifications:

·      Drivers must be between 18 and 84

·         Good driving record

·         Current, valid driver’s license

·         Access to safe reliable vehicle

·         Proof of adequate automobile insurance

·         Complete American Cancer Society training course and background check

·         Availability Monday through Saturday during the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

·         If cancer survivor, must be one year post-treatment.

 

We are looking forward to a great second half of the semester!
Enjoy the break and Happy Volunteering!

Spotlight – Beta Alpha Psi

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Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) is an honorary accounting, finance, and IT professional organization. BAP hosted a food drive and came to the pantry to sort and organize the items they collected.  BAP collected over 100 pounds in donations for the Bear Pantry! Thank you to all who participated! 

 

If your organization is interested in serving at the Bear Pantry, please contact us at BearPantry@missouristate.edu.

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. 

Give Pulse Provides Students with Service Opportunities

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The beginning of the semester is a wonderful time to start looking for and signing up for volunteer opportunities! Whether you are looking for service hours for a club, scholarship, or just for fun, Give Pulse is a great place to start.  

Many organizations in the Springfield community use Give Pulse to post their service opportunities. After you sign up on Give Pulse, you can enter your location to see what events are near you. This can be very helpful if you are hoping to stay near campus! Before selecting a date and time, you can read about the organization and what tasks you may be doing. In addition, with each event, you will see how many slots the organization is trying to fill. Lastly, if you have questions prior to the service opportunity, you can contact the person who created the event.  

To sign up and see service opportunities on Give Pulse, click here!  

Service opportunities on Give Pulse.