The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma’s Campus Co-Op recently welcomed a large donation of foodstuffs and other basic necessities thanks to the generosity of employees at HSI Sensing.

Celebrating their 50th anniversary of operations in Chickasha this year, HSI Sensing has organized a different charitable project each month in order to give back to the community. In October, employees were challenged to fill at least five large boxes of items for USAO’s Campus Co-Op. In the end, more than a dozen large boxes were collected.

“We were thrilled to hear that HSI was gathering food for the Campus Co-Op, but when we saw the amount, we were just stunned,” said Alexis Avery, assistant with the Neill-Wint Center for Neurodiversity and one of the founders of the co-op. “This donation proves how much HSI Sensing believes in our goal: to help student achieve food security, defined by the USDA as ‘access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life,’ so that they may focus on the experiences USAO can offer.”

The Campus Co-Op strives to provide supplemental food assistance for those in need within the USAO community. Located in the university’s Lawson Court Clubhouse, it is an open pantry with both perishable and non-perishable foodstuffs where students are welcome to take items as needed. By alleviating hunger, the co-op aims to decrease the impact of food insecurities on academic success.

In January 2017, a university task force conducted a survey to assess the need for a food pantry. Eighty-six percent of students either strongly agreed or agreed that such a service was needed at USAO, while 68 percent of faculty and staff felt the same way.

HSI Sensing is a manufacturer of electrical sensors, switches, magnets and actuators needed in a wide variety of technical fields, including fluid controls, medical, aerospace and security. They offer a comprehensive line of standard products, easy modifications, as well as an experienced team for custom engineering solutions. Each week, HSI ships tens of thousands of products to clients around the world.