No one should ever have to deal with food scarcity or insecurity while attending UCA, and the “Bear Essentials” Food Pantry will make sure of it. 

According to Feeding America, there were 18,870 people in Faulkner County experiencing food insecurity in 2019. 

With that in mind, it’s great to see a free food pantry that can be accessed when needed on campus. 

Bear Essentials is open four days a week and is located behind the Physical Plant and across from the Student Health Center on Beatrice Powell Street. 

The shopping guidelines state that “our mission is to reduce food insecurity in the UCA community.” They’re working hard to do just that for their shoppers. 

The food pantry is a completely free service provided to all UCA students, faculty and staff members through donations. 

Bear Essentials supplies more than 75 shoppers per week with food necessities like peanut butter, spaghetti sauce and pasta, cereal and milk, and much more. 

The shelves are deep and basically covered with food choices for all, no matter how picky the eater is.

There are a few refrigerators located in the food pantry that house items like frozen meatballs, milk, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables. 

There should be no hesitation to visit Bear Essentials if you experience any type of food insecurity in your daily life. 

It’s not embarrassing to go, and there should not be one ounce of stigma against food pantries. 

The world we live in has it so backward with inflation on food prices and food resources for students and teachers.

The shipping guidelines state that you must have your UCA ID with you to use the food pantry. When you arrive, a volunteer will check you in using your ID number and name. 

Bear Essentials asks that you let them know if it is your first time visiting the pantry. 

Students should follow all COVID-19 guidelines, like hand sanitation and the use of face masks when indoors anywhere on campus. 

There are shelf limits to follow to use the food pantry. These limits are labeled on each shelf throughout the pantry and ensure there is enough of everything to go around to as many shoppers as possible. 

Bear Essentials asks that shoppers only visit the pantry once per week to help them track their inventory and let them restock regularly. 

The pantry does have other items like small personal hygiene items, but the options are limited. 

Other items that can be found in abundance at the food pantry are ramen noodles, macaroni and cheese, cans of soup like vegetable, tomato, and chicken noodle, and even condiments like ketchup, syrup, garlic chili sauce, oyster sauce, and more.

Any additional information can be forwarded to Food Pantry Director Will Baker or Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement Wendy Holbrook at [email protected]. 

Bear Essentials can also be found on Instagram @Bearessentialsfoodpantry or Facebook @Ucabearessentials. 

Again, no one should ever experience food insecurity, especially when there are such fantastic resources available for everyone at UCA. 

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