NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Food Pantry is fully stocked and ready to serve students. Hours for the fall semester are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-noon Friday with a staff of student and faculty/staff volunteers. The NSU Food Pantry is located on the south side of Trisler Power Plant on NSU’s Central Avenue.
The Pantry received a large donation from Housing personnel this week when staff delivered a truck load of non-perishable food items to the Food Pantry. Director of Housing Stephanie Dyjack recently toured the facility to learn the needs of the students and purchased items with programming funds that were unused in the spring when students left campus. Dyjack shopped for complete meal items, such as ingredients for a soup or a noodle bowl, and things easily prepared in a microwave.
The Food Pantry also stocks personal hygiene items, toiletries and cleaning supplies and is open to all NSU students and BPCC@NSU students.
The NSU Food Pantry was created five years ago as a class project by a group of social work students who recognized that some of their peers were struggling with food insecurity while stretching their money to cover other expenses.
Donations are always welcome. To obtain a list of needed items, donors should contact Director of Student Affairs Reatha Cox at coxr@nsula.edu or Professor of Social Work Dr. Denise Bailey at garlandd@nsula.edu. Monetary donations are also accepted through the NSU Foundation. Donors can visit www.northwesternstatealumni.com and support the NSU Food Pantry in the Make A Gift section and specifying the NSU Food Pantry.
