Bully’s Closet and Pantry set to open in January at ��ӽ紫ý

A black tote bag with ��ӽ紫ý Student Affairs and Bully’s Closet and Pantry logos is pictured next to soup cans, applesauce, macaroni and cheese, jelly, rice and Ramen noodles. — Bully’s Closet and Pantry opens Jan. 10 at 1 p.m. on Mississippi ��ӽ紫ý’s Starkville campus. The 120 Morgan Ave. location offers nutritious food, clothing and basic toiletries for students in need. Regular operating hours will be 1-6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. (Photo by Beth Wynn)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Starting with the spring semester and a Jan. 10 ribbon cutting, Mississippi ��ӽ紫ý students will have access to nutritious food, clothing and other necessities at the new Bully’s Closet and Pantry.

A collaborative effort between the university’s Division of Student Affairs and the Student Association, Bully’s Closet and Pantry is part of the ��ӽ紫ý Food Security Network, a broader initiative to meet students’ basic needs throughout their time at the state’s leading university.

A woman adds a pack of chili-flavored Ramen noodles to a shelf of canned food. — In addition to support from the Division of Student Affairs and the Student Association, Bully’s Closet and Pantry will help meet students’ basic needs through food, personal care items and clothing donations. Tax-deductible monetary donations also are being accepted through the ��ӽ紫ý Foundation. (Photo by Beth Wynn)

A 10 a.m. ribbon cutting will take place on Jan. 10 at 120 Morgan Ave. on the Starkville campus. The new space will open for business that same day from 1-6 p.m. Regular operating hours are 1-6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

“National data indicates approximately 30% of all college students are in need of food and necessities,” said ��ӽ紫ý Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Young Hyatt. “Through this program, Mississippi ��ӽ紫ý can lessen the financial stressors some students face daily, allowing them to focus on the important goal of attaining their college degree.”

“We are a family at ��ӽ紫ý,” Hyatt continued, “and Bully’s Closet and Pantry is another way we can take care of our students.”

Those interested in supporting Bully’s Closet and Pantry are encouraged to bring nutritious food items, basic toiletries, and professional, dry-cleaned clothing to the drop-off station behind the 120 Morgan Ave. location. For a list of requested items, visit .

Tax-deductible monetary donations to the university’s Food Security Network Fund also can help with stocking of food and other necessities for the pantry. Contributions are being accepted through the ��ӽ紫ý Foundation at .

For more on Bully’s Closet and Pantry, contact Montelleo D. Hobley Jr., behavioral intervention team coordinator in the ��ӽ紫ý Dean of Students’ Office, at 662-325-3611 or mhobley@saffairs.msstate.edu.

Learn more about ��ӽ紫ý’s Division of Student Affairs at .

��ӽ紫ý is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at .

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