Corky's Cupboard Food Pantry
Corky's Cupboard provides temporary food assistance for students
Cupboard etiquette
Students, faculty and staff may pick up non-perishable items, fresh produce, refrigerated and frozen items plus toiletries 1 time per week with their ESU I.D. card.
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.
Hours
Open Mondays and Thursdays from 12 pm to 7 pm.
Location
Corky’s Cupboard, located in room 007 in the basement of the Memorial Union.
Directions: Use stairs or elevator across from Hornet Express to go to the lower level. If you take the elevator Corky's Cupboard will be to your left, if you take the stairs it will be on the right.
Eligibility
To make the pantry as accessible and easy to use as possible, the only eligibility requirement is that users must be ESU students, faculty or staff with a valid ID card.
Nourish the Need
Nourish the Need is a sustainability-driven program that leverages the surplus food from the Hornets Nest to create nutritious packaged meals for students facing food insecurity. The goal of this program is to reduce food waste while ensuring students have access to healthy packaged meals. Volunteers work closely with the cafeteria staff to identify and recover surplus food that meets safety and quality standards. To sign up to volunteer to help package meals for this program visit the registration page.
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 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 at the Center for Student Involvement.
Please only donate unused, unexpired and unopened food or products.
If you are faculty or staff and you'd like to make a payroll-deducted contribution to Corky's Cupboard, please use this form.
If you would like to make a monetary donation to the pantry, visit the Corky's Cupboard giving page to make a gift online.
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
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.
