College students can be food insecure too

Every college student knows the struggle finding a decent meal after the cafeteria is closed. But not every student knows what it’s like to not have access to food.

In a survey earlier this year, an estimated 41% of four year college students are food insecure. At MSU, the school isn’t just giving students the basic necessities to be successful, but their also helping keep them fed.

“It started probably a year or two ago. It was really based on some students needs on campus. Just the position they were in in their life and they needed some help with food issues.”

He’s talking about a food pantry on Minot State’s Campus. It’s been around for a few years, expanding as the need grew and now they offer basic necessities such as clothes, toiletries, and school supplies.

Since there has been so much support from the community, the campus minister says they are working on a few things to make the operation run smoothly.

“My hope is that in the next year, we will come up with a really well oiled system. A really well oiled machine of how our food resources are used for students, where we can look at different patterns or times when our students have a greater need for food.” explains campus minister Anna Dykeman.

A senior at the university says that she and her friends know all to well the struggle of going without food at times.

“There has been some times when the stores have either been closed or not open, to where I would be in my door and not have enough food in my door to be full.” says Paige Dolan.

Paige says having a the food pantry is a great security blanket for the students, faculty, and staff who may be in need.

“It’s comforting to know that people want you to succeed in your major but also want you to be fed and work hard at whatever your major may be.” add Dolan

And with continued donations from the community, the university will make it possible for students to be fed, while being pursing higher education

The pantry says that they are always accepting donations, and you can bring them to the wellness centers.

Students, faculty, and staff who want to utilize the pantry the hours are