Amanda Fremin, assistant to the vice president for student affairs, said that there will be a new food pantry open in a few weeks on campus.

The new food pantry will be located outside of Colonel Closet in the Brady apartment building. It is run by an organization called Mom’s Pantry.

The mission of Mom’s Pantry is to provide assistance to people struggling with food insecurity on university campuses and in the community.

According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, food insecurity is defined as the household – level condition of having uncertain or limited access to enough food.

According to deseret.com, it is estimated that 40 percent of college students are food insecure. People do not have to show evidence of food insecurity or register to get food from the pantry.

Fremin said that she anticipates the pantry will be delivered to the school in the next two weeks.

“It just got finished being built,” said Fremin. “The school in Lockport built it for us. Now I’m just trying to secure a truck and bring it to us.”

Mom’s Pantry has a food pantry on campus open 24 hours a day every day of the year. The pantry is available to any student in need of food and is located on the carport of the building directly across from the entrance to Little Colonels Academy.

Fremin said that the food pantry is being used but she is not sure how many people are using the pantry because people who use the pantry don’t have to write anything down.

She said they are going to use a QR code for the new pantry to keep track of the number of people using the pantry. The food bank needs to know that people are using the pantry in order to provide food for Mom’s pantry.

Colonel Closet is another place on campus where students in need can get everyday items such as school supplies, clothes, household items and small furniture items for free.

Colonel Closet aims to help protect the environment by recycling reusable items for students who are in need.

There are donation bins for Colonel Closet in Callias Recreation Center and Bollinger Student Union. There are also donation bins in the lobbies of Scholars, Zeringue, Millet and Ellender. Donations can also be made directly to Colonel Closet in the Brady Clubhouse.

Andi Sonnier explained that students that come to Colonel Closet use a QR code that lets store employees know they are taking food so they can provide information to the food bank on how many students are using them.

“We have been carrying food inside of Colonel Closet for the past two semesters,” said Sonnier. “We have the same QR system where they have to scan and fill it out and let us know they’re taking food so we can provide to the food bank.”

Sonnier said that students come into Colonel Closet and take food every day.

While the Colonel Closet is only accessible to students and staff because a Colonel Card is required, students who have family members in need can bring items home to their families.