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According to the National Institute of Health, An estimated 41% of US college students reported expierences of Food Insecurity nationwide. The Yellowjacket Pantry was created to help mitigate that need on our campus. 

The Yellowjacket Pantry offers food, hygiene products, feminine products, school supplies, diapers and more to all students, staff, and faculty members. We also work as advocates to connect clients to additional support services on campus and in the Billings community.

Clients can visit the pantry up to once a week. If clients require additional support, we can make arrangements on a case by case basis. 

The Yellowjacket Pantry works with trusted non-profit community partners to help support food hunger initiatives within the wider Billings community. Food insecurity-based community partners include: Family Service, Salvation Army, Tumbleweed, and United Way. In the 22/23 academic year, the Yellowjacket Pantry received generous donations of more than 1000 lbs of food, hygiene, and school supplies from the Billings community.

Who is the YEP for?

The Yellowjacket Pantry is free to any MSUB Student, Staff, or Faculty member. There are no requirements or proof of eligibility required to shop at the pantry. If any of the below circumstances are ones you are expierencing or expect to expierence soon then the pantry is meant for you!

• If you are unable or unsure if you will make rent this month
• If you skip meals to save money
• If you lack transportation to get to the store
• If you need a homemade meal but aren't sure where to start
• If you rely on others for your meals
• If you have to choose between paying bills and grocery shopping
• If you can't focus in class or during the day due to lack of nutrition
• If you make less than the cost of living in Billings after taxes and withholdings ($1600 per month)

What to Expect at Your Pantry Visit

On arrival clients will be greeted, invited to complete a brief intake form, and asked to present their student or staff ID. This information is used to inform clients of available college and community-based resources; all collected data is strictly confidential and adheres to the Montana State University Billings data protection policy. We'll go over what resources and needs you are seeking. Then, we will give you a shopping bag, Explain how the pantry works, invite you to select your items from the pantry, weigh the items for inventory purposes, go over any last questions or concerns, and conclude your visit.

After you fill out our intake form online to shop at the YEP, you may schedule an appointment to come visit the pantry at a time that is convenient for you. Contact us at (406) 654-2387 or parker.scott2@msubillings.edu to schedule or with any questions.

YEP Hours

The Yellowjacket Pantry is open at the following times:

University Campus: 8AM - 9PM Mon-Thu, 8AM - 7PM Fri, 11AM - 7PM Sat-Sun during the academic year; 8AM - 5PM Mon-Fri in the Summer & during breaks

City College Campus: 8AM - 5PM Mon-Fri in the Summer and during the academic year

Additional Resources

Please fill out an intake form to be connected to community and on-campus resources. Possible resources you could request information on include: Housing, Clothing, Long term food benefits, Legal, Disability, tutoring, Health and much more!

Snack Boxes & Our Community Fridge

Keep an eye out on campus for our YEP Snack Boxes. The Snack Box program is an extenstion of our on-campus pantry and can give you a boost between classes to help you focus on your studies. Snack box locations include the Center for Engagement, Career and Employment Services, COE 261, and Jacket Student Central. 

Stop by the Library if you are in need of a meal from our community fridge, The fridge contains sandwichs and fruits and is a great location to grab a meal if you can't afford one elsewere. 

Community Fridge Art Contest

Leave your mark on the MSUB campus! Submit a piece of art to be featured on the Yellowjacket Pantry's Community Fridge in the Library. Your submission should be an anwser to the question: What does the MSUB community mean to you?

Your submission should meet the following requirments:

• It should be scalable to 26 inches wide by 41 inches tall
• It can be created in any medium ( drawings or paintings can be submitted as a .jpg below, but please keep the original physical artwork)
• It should be high resolution if it is a digital file 
• It should be submitted before May 10th 2024
• It should be related to the theme above
• Your artwork should have your signature at the bottom right corner

If you have questions about the contest please reach out to Parker Scott at parker.scott2@msubillings.edu.

The winning artwork will be selected by a panel of judges from the Art Club, Art Department, Library and Center for Engagement. The winning artist will receive $50 to the campus store as well as have their signed artwork on display indefinetly. 

Artwork submissions can be submitted below starting November 1st:

Support the Yellowjacket Pantry

Donate

The Yellowjacket Pantry accepts non-perishable food items throughout the year. Donations can be dropped off at either University Campus or City College sites.

Donation bins available  at University campus SUB Atrium, Library, College of Education, College of Business, Admin Building 1st floor, as well as at City College campus Tech Commons.

As a general rule, donate shelf-stable, non-expired, nutrient-dense foods

We also take diapers, hygiene products, feminine products, school supplies, laundry supplies and financial donations

Volunteer

Donate your time to the YEP! We have opportunities to work with our trusted non-profit community partners as well as inside the pantry itself! 

Give

We also accept monetary donations in the form of a check made payable to 'Yellowjacket Pantry'. These can be sent to: Yellowjacket Pantry, Center for Engagement, Montana State University Billings, 1500 University Drive, Billings, MT 59101. Please include a return address so we can provide a charitable tax reference and thank you note. Our largest annual donors are listed below, we can't thank them enough for the massive impact that they have on the lives of MSUB community members. 

The Yellowstone Rim Runners' Run Turkey Run event is currently the single largest benefactor to the Yellowjacket Pantry. Students, staff, faculty, and alumni are encouraged to participate and support the annual community event in any way possible.
The Town Pump Foundation donates yearly to the Yellowjacket Pantry and is a valued partner of the Yellowjacket Pantry.
the Billings Junior Women's Club is the Yellowjacket Pantry's largest In-Kind benefactor and are valued supporters of the Yellowjacket Pantry.

Interested in becoming a patron? Please contact us at (406) 896-5817 or parker.scott2@msubillings.edu for more information.

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Individuals fighting food insecurity, often just require the knowledge that services exist. The most effective way to support the YEP is to inform friends and coworkers about the Yellowjacket Pantry.