A student cycles to a distant food pantry; a professor hands a student a care package; the financial aid office becomes a commonplace for students in search of funding.

These situations are examples of food insecurity which are caused by uncertain or limited access to food, according to the Huskie Food Pantry website.

There is a 13.9 percent rate of food insecurity in DeKalb County. Contributing to this rate, more than 1,500 out of about 11,000 students face food insecurity, according to the website.

Recognizing food insecurity among her peers at NIU, Kathy Zuidema, Career Services employer relations specialist, decided to form the Huskie Food Pantry, according to the website.

Designed to provide support to students, the Huskie Food Pantry offers supplemental and non-perishable food and other necessities. This support is offered 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays starting Sept. 5 at the Chick Evans Field House on the south side across from Gabel and Graham Halls.

Aside from listed hours, the pantry offers emergency assistance for students who find themselves with limited access to food in an emergency. In this situation, students will be provided with a food pantry to-go bag from a campus partner. Pick-ups can be arranged with Police and Public Safety, Financial Aid and Scholarships and Student Involvement and Leadership Development.

The Huskie Food Pantry relies solely on donations and volunteers, and asks students to become a part of its network of supporters. Duties of volunteers include shopping for food, organizing food drives, assisting clients and receiving, stocking and shelving inventory. The pantry encourages students to volunteer or donate at [email protected].