Missouri State Journal

Growing to Tackle Food Insecurity

Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio

A Missouri State University dietetics student assists a shopper in the Bear Pantry.
Jesse Scheve

Bear Pantry continues to meet students' food needs.

In 2018, a study published by researchers at Temple University and the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, found that 36% of students on U.S. college campuses don't have enough to eat.

To help meet the food needs of its students, Missouri State University through its Center for Community Engagement (CCE) set up the Bear Pantry in 2019.

Since then, the pantry has grown, moving to a larger space and offering fresh produce. CCE Director Alex Johnson offers an update.

Read the full audio transcript

Support the Bear Pantry

A native of Malaysia, Emily moved to Springfield in 2010 and started working at Missouri State University in 2014. She’s currently the assistant director in the Office of Strategic Communication. She has a BA in Mass Communications from Colorado State University-Pueblo and a Master of Journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.