Pack The Pantry Unites UND Against Food Insecurity

(Contributed graphic from the College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines via UND Today)

(By Walter Criswell. UND Today) -Cooking oil flies off the shelf. So do cans of chicken and tuna, shelf-stable proteins that can turn a box of pasta or a packet of ramen into something that lasts. At UND’s Food For Thought food pantry in the Memorial Union, those patterns show up again and again, said Kristi Okerlund, director of Student Involvement.

This points to a reality that’s easy to miss in everyday campus life: Many students are quietly trying to make it through the semester without reliable access to nutrient-dense food. Nathaniel Johnson, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at the College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines, says the problem is becoming harder to ignore.

“With increased cost of living across the board and increased educational costs, college kids are at increased risk of food insecurity,” said Johnson. In fact, a quarter to a third of UND students experience food insecurity.

To help meet that need, UND’s College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines (CNPD) is bringing back the Pack the Pantry Campus Challenge, a campuswide competition running Feb. 19 through March 5, 2026, inviting departments, colleges, student groups and self-created teams to collect pantry items and raise funds for students who rely on Food For Thought.