Corky's Cupboard Food Pantry
Corky's Cupboard provides temporary food assistance for students
Temporary food assistance + school supplies
Location
Students may pick up non-perishable items, fresh produce, refrigerated and frozen items plus toiletries 1x per week with their student ESU I.D. card.
Hours + location
Corky’s Cupboard, located in the Memorial Union in the south end of the Center for Student Involvement, is open Mondays and Thursdays from noon to 7 p.m.
Mission of Corky's Cupboard
The mission of the Corky's Cupboard campus food pantry is to foster a healthy university community by providing temporary food assistance in an effort to alleviate hunger.
Eligibility
To make the pantry as accessible and easy to use as possible, the only eligibility requirement is that users must be currently enrolled ESU students. Students may visit Corky’s Cupboard once per week.
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Resources for Eating Healthy on a Budget
The following resources are provided by the United States Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. For more information, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.
- Meeting Your MyPlate Goals on a Budget.pdf
- Eating Better on a Budget.pdf
- Mini-Fridge Makeover.pdf
- Be Choosy in the Dining Hall.pdf
- Build a Healthy Meal.pdf
Stocking the Pantry + Donating to the Pantry
Campus food drives will be held throughout the year, as needed, to keep the pantry stocked. Associated Student Government will annually donate a portion of the goods raised from the fall Can the Bods competition to Corky's Cupboard. However, we will accept donations year-round. If you would like to donate items to the pantry, we kindly ask that you donate items that fall into our donation wish list categories listed below. Donations can be dropped off in the Center for Student Involvement. Individuals wishing to make monetary donations to the pantry may do so by following the steps below.
- Visit the Emporia State University Foundation giving website.
- Select the amount you would like to donate.
- In the "Designation:" drop-down menu, select "Other."
- In the "Other" field, type Corky's Cupboard Food Pantry Fund.
- Click the "Add Gift" button, and then complete the rest of the form and click the "Give Now" button.
Background
In Spring 2014, the potential need to provide food assistance to Emporia State students was brought before the Student Affairs Council. The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) and Student Wellness volunteered to lead this initiative. Staff from these two departments, along with the Associated Student Government President and Vice President, began meeting regularly to develop a plan. In the Fall of 2014, Corky’s Cupboard opened, and since then, it has given over 65,000 services, and served over 1,000 different students.
- 42% of respondents indicated that at some point in the current academic year while classes were in session, they skipped a meal because they did not have enough money to buy food
- 42% of respondents indicated that at some point in the past month, they skipped a meal because they did not have enough money to buy food
- 8 students indicated that they had skipped more than 5 meals during the past month
The team immediately began developing plans to open a campus food pantry, named Corky’s Cupboard, in fall 2014.
Pantry Partners
We are grateful to have a number of partners who are helping to make Corky's Cupboard a reality. Pantry Partners provide ongoing support for the pantry, including coordinating pantry operations, staffing the pantry, and hosting food drives to stock the pantry. Our Pantry Partners include:
- Associated Student Government
- Center for Student Involvement
- Community Hornets
- Fraternity + Sorority Life
- Student Wellness
Basic Needs Coalition
The Basic Needs Coalition is a group of students, faculty, staff and community members who work together to ensure all Hornets have access to sufficient food, housing, mental and physical health services and financial resources to succeed inside and outside the classroom. Find resources for affordable housing, financial support and food assistance.
Donation Wish List
Proteins
Peanut butter, canned chicken/tuna, beans, canned chili, nuts
Fruits & Veggies
Canned fruits and vegetables, applesauce, tomato juice, raisins, dried fruit
Grains
Pasta, rice, cereal, noodles, oatmeal
Meals + Mixes
Baking mixes, soups, instant potatoes, mac and cheese, hamburger helper, spaghetti sauce
Baking Supplies
Flour, sugar, baking soda/powder, vegetable oil
Toiletries
Deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, feminine products, toothbrushes, toothpaste
Freezer
Frozen meats, dinners, breakfast foods, and pizzas
Other Initiatives
CHEW (Cooking Healthy Eating Well)
Corky’s Cupboard co-sponsors cooking classes with CHEW, Cooking Healthy Eating Well, hosted out of Student Wellness by Mary McDaniel Anschutz and/or Emily Prouse. Cooking classes were offered at the First Christian Church and 10-12 students were led through numerous recipes. Each student was able to take home meals they could fix later in the week. All food was provided by Corky’s Cupboard.
Kiss the Cook!
Corky’s Cupboard is co-sponsoring with Union Activities Council for the program Kiss the Cook! UAC will welcome Chef Jyll Everman, Season 7 Finalist from Food Network Star, LIVE for a fun night of cooking! Students will be able to prepare Tortellini, Shaved Veggie Salad, and Chocolate Pot De Crème on Thursday, February 11 at 7pm. This event is free and open to the public.
ACES & AT&T Learning Fund
Corky’s Cupboard presents the ACES & AT&T Learning Grant School Supplies as a service of Corky’s Cupboard for the Spring 2021 semester. Any student may stop by to pick up free index cards, highlighters, notebooks, planners, sticky pads, sticky page tabs, pens or graphing calculators.