During this transitional time from end of summer to the start of classes, the Bear Essentials Food Pantry will be open Monday through Thursdays, from 11 am – 4 pm.

We will be closed for Labor Day on Monday, September 5, 2022.

Our Fall Semester Open hours will start on Tuesday, September 6th.  These hours will be posted before that date.

The ladies of AKA will be hosting a food drive at 10Box Conway from 10 – 2 on Saturday, 2/12/22.  

Reminder!  The Bear Essentials Food Pantry will not be open when the university is operating remotely or closed.

When the Disability Resource Center (DRC) didn’t get an Angel Bear in time, they came up with a wonderful solution for their holiday giving.  They decided to collect desserts for the Bear Essentials Food Pantry to add to the Angel Bear annual holiday food boxes.  “Operation Sweet Tooth” was the creative brainchild of Anjanette Kerr, DRC’s Administrative Specialist.  The DRC office staff passed the word throughout the Student Health Center and collected enough sweets for all 22 boxes.  Thanks to this giving project, all the Angel Bear food boxes had not just meal ingredients, but cookies, brownies and cakes to make for the holidays!

The pantry’s other elves include the Staff Senate organizers of the annual canned goods collection at this year’s Winter Feast.  Around 300 items were collected, totaling 243 pounds!  Thank you so much to Staff Senate and everyone that contributed canned goods and funds through the online ticket purchasing site!!

The Bear Essentials Food Pantry team is filled with gratitude for all the wonderful support received from the UCA Community!

THANK YOU BEARS!!!!

Pictured: DRC student workers along with Anjanette Kerr dropping off the Operation Sweet Tooth collection at the Food Pantry.

A big thank you to the Green Grove Masonic Lodge # 107 F. & A.M. for adopting the Bear Essentials Food Pantry as their charity of the year! They will donate over $3,000.00 by November 30, 2021.

On September 23rd lodge representatives Fred Dison (front row, right) and Shad Foley (second row, right) presented a $1,000 check to the pantry staff and volunteers. This was followed by another $1,000.00 donation on October 15. They have also agreed to sponsor our annual turkey/ham giveaway for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Their help could not have come at a better time. The number of students visiting the pantry has doubled in the past few weeks. 340 individuals visited the pantry in the month of September. 95 of them were new shoppers and we anticipate that our numbers will continue to grow.

We sincerely appreciate the members of the Green Grove Masonic Lodge for the generous support. Member Shad Foley is an officer with the UCA Police Department. We are grateful for his dedication to our UCA students to protect, serve and feed.