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State representative Julie Brixie presents $125,000 to MSU Student Food Bank

January 28, 2025
<p>State Representative Julie Brixie hands MSU Student Food Bank coordinator, Kara Swain, a special tribute of $125,000 to the MSU student food bank on Jan. 27, 2025.</p>

State Representative Julie Brixie hands MSU Student Food Bank coordinator, Kara Swain, a special tribute of $125,000 to the MSU student food bank on Jan. 27, 2025.

On Monday, Jan. 27, State Rep. Julie Brixie presented a tribute of $125,000 to the MSU Student Food Bank. Brixie, a Democrat representing Michigan’s 73rd district, has advocated for and invested in the Hunger Free Campus pilot program. This program, which also includes Macomb Community College, Grand Rapids Community College and Northern Michigan University, is aiming to eliminate food insecurity on college campuses across Michigan.

"My hope is that we’ll be able to expand the program throughout the state," Brixie said. 

Brixie presented the tribute and took a tour of the MSU Student Food Bank facilities, located in Olin Health Center. MSU's food bank was the first student-run food bank in the country, getting its start in 1993. Brixie’s tribute will go toward efforts to expand their services, as more and more students utilize the food bank each semester.

"Just last year alone, we served over 16,000 students, delivering more than 120,000 pounds of food," University Health and Wellbeing executive director Dr. Alexis Travis said, a 135 percent increase from the previous year.

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A self-shop option will open in the MSU Union, where students can make appointments to pick up their groceries, according to University Health and Wellbeing associate director Jamie Hutchinson. 

"What we are passionate about is reducing the stigma around utilizing services," Hutchinson said. "Having the Union as a very neutral place to obtain these services will help reduce that stigma and allow more people to access it."

The Union self-shop will include four refrigerators, two freezers, sections for dry goods and produce, as well as a bakery. Construction is expected to begin in the next six weeks.

The money will also go toward helping students in need purchase their own groceries. MSU Student Food Bank coordinator Kara Swain said the food bank has plans to buy and give out grocery-only gift cards for students to use.

"We will also be investing in supplemental nutrition assistance program training so that we can support students in furthering their buying power at the grocery store," Swain said.

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The Student Food Bank is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in room 151 of Olin Health Center. For students who need to access the food bank, there is an order form that can be filled out either online or through a walk-in order in person, and there is a wide variety to choose from.

"We have a changing menu depending on what we get in each week," food bank student supervisor Emmanuel Muzumara said. "We also get donations from places on campus, like the Starbucks, or places close by campus."

Dietary options that the food bank offers include vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, lactose free, halal and kosher. There are also initiatives to provide food for religious celebrations so that students in need are still able to celebrate.

"Ramadan is coming up, so we’re trying to provide these cultural items," Muzumara said.

The Student Food Bank also has many household items available for students. These items include paper towels, toilet paper, diapers, dish soap, laundry detergent and even "stress carts" (shopping cart shaped stress toys).

"We hear probably every week from a student that they wish they had known about this place sooner, they’re surprised by the amount of items we have and the variety," Swain said. "We’re known as the Student Food Bank, but we’re also thinking about all of our students’ needs."

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Students interested in volunteering with the Student Food Bank can fill out a form online, or can even stop into the food bank and express their interest. There are also many student clubs on campus who volunteer their time and offer donations to the food bank.

"We’ll have student organizations and student clubs do fundraisers, so a lot of clubs will require a certain amount of volunteering," food bank assistant Abigail Tassin said. "Colleges will also do food drives to donate to us as well, so that’s also a great help." 

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Other ways to donate to the food bank include buying items off of their Amazon gift registry, donating through MSU Development, or through The Bea and Roy Mott Fund. Checks can be made out to MSU Student Food Bank and sent to 463 East Circle Drive Room 151, East Lansing, MI 48825. 

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