Bobcat Bounty addresses food insecurity among Texas State community

Campus Community

Ayo Olanipekun | November 15, 2018

Food insecurity is a predicament many college students face across the country, and a 2017 study indicated that as many as 28 percent of Texas State University students could be affected.

Bobcat Bounty is one way the university is confronting the issue. 

Hannah Thornton, senior lecturer and dietetic internship director in the School of Family and Consumer Sciences, recognizes the effect of food insecurity on the education of college students. Bobcat Bounty came about through her work with the School of Family and Consumer Sciences, in collaboration with the Hays County Food Bank.

Bobcat Bounty started in 2018 and serves as the food pantry for students and staff to reduce food insecurity on campus. The grocery store-style pantry is run by students under the direction of faculty from the Food Security Learning Community in the Nutrition and Foods Program.

The primary target group for Bobcat Bounty is Texas State students, staff and faculty; however, it is also open to people not affiliated with the university. Patrons can choose groceries during weekly operating hours every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Family and Consumer Sciences Building, room 187. The pantry is staffed by dietetic interns and student volunteers who work to organize the food, prepare food samples and help guide patrons as they make food choices. All the groceries provided during Bobcat Bounty come from the Hays County Food Bank.

Bobcat Bounty receives an average of 100 people every Thursday. There is an ongoing study on the effectiveness of Bobcat Bounty to reduce the level of food insecurity at Texas State. 

Bobcat Bounty is sponsored by Texas State, the Environment and Sustainability Committee, Transformative Service Collaborative, Chartwells (in conjunction with Texas State Student Government), Texas State Dining, College of Applied Arts, School of Family & Consumer Sciences, Equity & Access Committee, St. Mark's Episcopal Church and the First Lutheran Church, San Marcos.

For more information, visit dieteticinternship.fcs.txstate.edu/Bobcat-Bounty.