Dairy MAX, a nonprofit dairy council, has donated a new 64-gallon commercial cooler to Midwestern State University’s Mustangs Pantry. The new cooler increases the pantry’s refrigeration capacities and will give the pantry the ability to store milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy items for longer periods to meet the needs of students with food insecurities.

Dairy MAX is one of the leading regional nonprofit dairy councils in the United States, representing more than 900 dairy farm families across eight states.

Cynthia Cummings, coordinator of special events and administrator of the pantry, said they are grateful to receive the donation as, partly due to the pandemic, the number of students who utilize it has increased. “We are pleased to have the capacity to store the dairy perishables. We could not keep any of these on hand prior to the cooler donation and our students were not getting an adequate amount of dairy in their diet. Students have long requested milk, but we could only purchase a small amount each week,” Cummings said.

The Mustangs Pantry is open each Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. in the Clark Student Center Student Government office. It is a free service open to all currently enrolled students at MSU Texas who are not on a residential meal plan and to those who need emergency food. The pantry provides students with canned goods, pasta, beans, rice, fresh and refrigerated products, along with personal care items.

“Service by the Midwestern State University pantry is vital for students to have success in the classroom,” said Landry Vieth, fourth-generation dairy farmer. “The dairy products that they will provide to students offer a nutrient-packed food option that some may not have access to. I am proud of the food pantry’s future to provide the students a balanced, well-rounded diet to those in need.”

Dairy Max was founded as a nonprofit organization more than 40 years ago. It manages five audience outreach programs: business development, health and wellness, consumer marketing, industry image and relations, and school marketing. For more information visit DairyMax.org.