Tephiny Jones, a UC Berkeley student-parent, has seen several of her student-parent friends struggle with providing food for their children as their financial aid runs out towards the end of the semester.

But a new service being launched Thursday at the UC Berkeley Transfer, Re-entry and Student Parent Center may be able to help low-income students with children during such emergency financial situations.

The Bear Pantry, a food reserve founded by Koret Mulder, a 45-year-old UC Berkeley senior and mother of two, provides a collection of 30 food items in individual bins-each with enough food to feed a family of three for two weeks-to 50 financially-eligible student-parents once per semester.

"My goal is that when they walk away with that bin, they are able to take the next steps," Mulder said. "(The Bear Pantry) is a cushion and an opportunity. It takes care of the immediate crisis and enables student-parents to take care of the more long-term problem of food."

In addition to non-perishable foods such as sugar, tea, coffee, syrup, pasta, juice and a $35 gift card to buy perishable foods, each bin also includes information on how to apply for food stamps, Mulder said.

The bins will be dispersed through referrals rather than directly to the students. Resident associates at the University Village and individuals working at the Financial Aid Office and Emergency Loan Office will identify student-parents in need of emergency food.

Qualified student-parents will then be referred to one of three pantry representatives: Mulder, Alice Jordan, campus coordinator of student parent programs and services or Belinda Arriaga, University Village clinical social worker.

Mulder said she formed the idea of the pantry at the end of last fall when she realized there was a period of one to two weeks between semesters in which financial aid could be distributed later than expected. For student-parents who rely on aid to feed their children, this "gap" posed a problem, Mulder said.

Jones, a senior majoring in social welfare, said the student-parents she knows are from out-of-state, which limits the options available for some families. In cases of financial emergencies, it takes time to receive money from their families, while in other cases families depend on student-parents for financial support, she said.

"How about those who don't have friends or family here," Jones said. "Where would they go?"

According to Jordan, there are about 500 undergraduate student-parents and one in ten graduate students also has a child.

Jordan said state and county reductions in child-care programs make it harder for student-parents to go to work and earn work study because they have to take care of their kids.

"Student-parents are paying very high rent, which is the number one reason why they don't have money for food, and there have been cuts in social service programs on the state and county level," Jordan said. "(They) have nine months of financial aid, but twelve months of expenses."

The project has been funded through donations from campus student groups including Student Parent Association for Recruitment and Retention, University Village Residents Association and campus sororities, among other campus groups, Mulder said.

She added that resources may be expanded in the future through the use of online donations.

Mulder said her goal is to have permanent donors provide a designated item for the bins-like peanut butter and pasta-every semester in order to replenish food reserves for the pantry, ensuring its continued operation.

Jaime Lambert, a junior majoring in linguistics who is the coordinator of participants for the pantry, said that she is optimistic for the future of the pantry.

"I'm hoping The Bear Pantry is a service that will provide emergency groceries to student-parents forever," she said.

Tags: BEAR PANTRY, KORET MULDER