A new student group opened a food pantry on campus for students this month. Rotaract, a club for adults ages 18-30 that meets to exchange ideas, plan activities and projects, and socialize, will hold a ribbon cutting later this month for the pantry.
The group began planning activities in fall 2014 and became a recognized student group in the spring. Dr. Elise Hepworth, associate professor of music, is the group’s advisor, and the local Rotary International clubs in the community are sponsors.
Dr. Hepworth, who started her second year at Missouri Western this fall, said she was involved with a Rotaract group where she previously taught, and that group had started a food pantry on campus that was successful.
“I work closely with students and I see a lot of them just scraping by,” she said. “There are food programs available for students in the local school district, but we sometimes we don’t think about college students. So I suggested a pantry to the group and they were thrilled.”
Last spring, Staff Association members donated canned goods and money at their gathering, and Second Harvest Food Bank in St. Joseph is on board to support the project, as well. Dr. Hepworth said the Greek social organizations will also be holding food drives for the pantry.
The pantry, which will provide non-perishable food items, paper products and detergent, will be open for two hours two days a week, and students may visit once a month and fill two large bags.
Other Rotaract activities include visiting care facilities in the community, offering daycare services to churches, conducting trash pickups and reading to children at Headstart.