(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – Four years after opening, the Campus Cupboard food pantry at the University of Central Missouri continues to provide food for hundreds of students, faculty and staff members who need a little assistance.
Campus Cupboard is located in the lower level of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center and has grown with the help of the local community, Sodexo, and food banks in the Kansas City area that donate daily to the campus food pantry. With the help of many organizations, the pantry has served nearly 6,000 people since it opened.
Campus Cupboard opened Oct. 10, 2013, with initial funding through a $5,000 UCM Foundation Opportunity Grant. The donation helped pay for cleaning, shelving, canned food items, technology and extra refrigerators.
The UCM Student Government Association allocated $2,000 during the spring 2013 semester to assist with the opening of the facility and has made a commitment of $1,000 per semester to sustain the operation, according to a UCM news release.
“During the second full year of operation, more than 1,000 individuals were served in 2015. That number grew to more than 2,600 individuals, with more than 2,000 served during the first six months of 2016,” said Beth Rutt, director of Student Activities.
She said donations come from student organizations on campus, civic clubs in Warrensburg and alumni. They purchase food from the Harvesters food bank in Kansas City.
“I can purchase items from them usually for around 43 cents on the dollar,” Rutt said. “We also have food we pick up from Walmart and Aldi every week,” Rutt said.
Volunteers can sign up by contacting Trish Smith, the graduate assistant in charge of managing activities, donations and volunteers for the Campus Cupboard.
“The majority of our food recovery comes from Sodexo,” Rutt said. “We pick up each night from Ellis and Todd dining halls the food that has not been served and bring it back to the pantry where it is repackaged into single servings.”
Smaller on-campus vendors, such as Einstein Bros. Bagels, Starbucks, and SPIN! Pizza also have made contributions to the Campus Cupboard.
Rutt said finding donations has not been too difficult.
“I have never asked anyone and been told no,” she said. “Our community and businesses are very generous and very student supportive.”
For more information or to volunteer, visit ucmo.edu/osa/volunteer/vol_ops.cfm.