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University of Montana student government opens Bear Necessities to help with food, housing, more – Daily Montanan

['Keila Szpaller', 'More From Author', '- February']

Date: 2022-02-01 00:00:00

When Kat Cowley helped open the food pantry at the University of Montana three years ago, she held a secret hope that it was just the start of providing support to students who need it.

Cowley wanted a one-stop shop.

Tuesday, members of the campus and Missoula community celebrated the opening of the Bear Necessities (Basic Needs) Agency at UM, making her dream a reality and offering support beyond food to the estimated 63 percent of students who need help with things like personal care products, housing or mental health.

“This kind of suffering was never meant to be a part of the college experience,” said Cowley, Bear Necessities director.

On the third anniversary of the opening of the food pantry, Cowley cut the ribbon on the Associated Students of the University of Montana Bear Necessities Agency at the University Center. UM billed the mission of Bear Necessities as supporting students who are experiencing basic needs insecurity, closing gaps in resources, and advocating for change to prevent future need.

The symbolic cutting of the ribbon followed remarks from Cowley as well as from UM President Seth Bodnar, Mayor John Engen, ASUM President Noah Durnell, food pantry coordinator Collin Zollinger, and others.

Across the country, nearly three in five students experience basic needs insecurity, according to a March 2021 #RealCollege survey published by The Hope Center for College, Community and Justice. Some 29 percent of students reported experiencing food insecurity, 48 percent dealt with housing insecurity, and 14 percent found themselves homeless.

Collin Zollinger, coordinator for the food pantry, said the pantry has distributed 38,000 pounds of food and personal care products since it opened three years ago. He also said it counted 1,200 visits in 2021 — nearly twice the visits counted in 2020.

Mayor Engen said he sees families who are struggling in Missoula and hears their stories, and he knows that challenges aren’t restricted to one age group or one demographic. He said he’s thankful the campus is addressing problems and using a smart approach.

“The fact that we are reaching out in intelligent and meaningful ways to provide support is something for which I am incredibly grateful,” Engen said.

President Bodnar said UM aims to foster “inclusive prosperity,” where everyone has access to opportunities and the benefits of education. That means dealing with the significant challenges students face, including a lack of basic needs, and he said UM does its work to help as a family.

“This is a family where we look out for each other and where we take care of each other,” Bodnar said.

ASUM President Durnell, who shared some of the #RealCollege statistics, said an even greater number of UM students experience basic needs insecurity than the national average, some 63 percent compared to 58 percent. But 44 percent of students at UM are unaware they can get help, and he said the campus and community are committed to breaking down barriers and raising awareness.

“Today marks a commitment … every struggling student’s need is met from now on,” Durnell said.

In a news release about the event, UM noted that since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pantry has seen more demand for services, which include free food and personal care products and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program application support.

The #RealCollege survey by the Hope Center bills itself as the nation’s largest annual assessment of students’ basic needs, and in 2020, it surveyed more than 195,000 students from 130 two-year colleges and 72 four-year colleges for its 2021 report. The report addressed the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on students’ basic needs.

“While the pandemic and its resulting economic crisis did not create these challenges, they exacerbated the lengths students had to go to overcome them,” the report said. “More than a third of students lost work because of the pandemic, and a quarter worked less or for less money. Many had trouble concentrating in class, and three in four parenting students spent more than 40 hours a week taking care of their children. Two in five students had a close family member or friend who was sick with COVID-19, and more than one in 10 lost a loved one.”

Cowley said poverty can feel like a full time job, and she hopes Bear Necessities can raise awareness of services, alleviate some of the stress students feel and contribute to their education.

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