Food insecurity affects 40% of college students according to a study from counter.org. Murray State is one of many universities hoping to alleviate this problem through an on-campus food pantry.

The Racers Helping Racers food pantry opened Feb. 14, 2014, with the intent to help students succeed in college. The food pantry is open to all students.

Curris Center and Student Life Director Re’Nita Avery said food insecurity is a problem at Murray State. 

“We have a lot of different students that come in,” Avery said. “You have those students that are regulars that come in, and then you have those students that come in that didn’t know about the pantry on campus.”

The pantry offers students a variety of items including breakfast items, ready-to-eat meals, vegetables and toiletries. 

 The pantry currently is in need of ready-to-eat meals and breakfast items Avery said. 

“Our biggest hot commodity items are breakfast, so cereal and granola bars and ready-to-eat meals for sure,” Avery said. “We have been out of those for a while.”

For those interested in donating, contact the leader of your student organization. Avery said student organizations bring in a lot of donations. 

“We really appreciate student organizations,” Avery said. “They come in and raise food for us, so that’s where students can actually help with raising food for the pantry.”

Student organizations can contact the Curris Center and Student Life office at 270-809-6119 about organizing a food drive and finding out which items are needed, Avery said. Once in contact with the office, organizations will then receive a Google Doc of needed items. 

Avery said they also receive donations from both alumni and community members. 

“We receive donations from alumni,” Avery said. “They might see it in the parent’s weekly email, so we have community members that give to the food pantry, and Needline still gives to the pantry when we are running low on items.” 

The Murray-Calloway County Needline is a social welfare program offering food initiatives and  other need-based programs.

The Curris Center and Student Life Office promote the food pantry around the University and in weekly newsletters. 

“We put it in the ‘Greek Weekly,’ which is a big population of the students here on campus, and we’ll also sporadically post on the Racer Bulletin,” Avery said. “If there’s people that don’t know about it, I’m trying to see if we can put [flyers] in the residential colleges.” 

Avery said the time of the year can impact the number of students visiting the pantry. 

“Usually, towards the end of the semester, we see a bit of an increase, and then just a steady flow throughout the semester,” Avery said.

Since January 2022, the pantry has seen 136 students used the service and another 28 students using curbside pickup. 

The food pantry offers curbside pickup for students on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m to 2 p.m according to murraystate.edu.

Curbside pickup started during the COVID-19 shutdown to ensure students had access to the food pantry.

For curbside pickup, students can fill out a form online and list what items they are in need of.  Avery’s office will box up the requested items and bring the box  to the student’s vehicle. 

Avery said a lot of students are using the curbside pickup—about 103 students per month. 

Students visiting the pantry for the first time will be required to fill out an application, and returning students will fill out an abbreviated form. 

Students can visit the Racers Helping Racers Food Pantry located in Blackburn Science Building Room 244 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m to 2 p.m during the regular semester. “During summer and winter break, students can visit the pantry Mondays and Wednedays from 10 a.m to 2 p.m.” Students can also visit murraystate.edu/campus/CurrisCenter/racershelpingracers.aspx to sign up for curbside pickup. 

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