The service to help students with food insecurity moves to Vulcan Village for the fall semester as donations and requests move online.
With a temporary new location and a couple of permanent new options, the Cal U Cupboard pantry will continue to provide services to students this fall.
A resource for students who are experiencing food insecurity, the Cal U Cupboard has relocated to the Vulcan Village Clubhouse for the fall semester.
Cal U is operating remotely for the fall semester in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Three hundred students are living at Vulcan Village, which is owned by the Student Association Inc. and is located on Cal U’s upper campus.
Previously located within the Center for Volunteer Programs and Service Learning in the Natali Student Center, the Cupboard also stocks canned food, microwavable meals, pasta, breakfast items and snacks, as well as school supplies and hygiene items.
Emphasizing pandemic protocols, students can use an online request form for items from the Cupboard and will be notified when their orders are ready.
“We prefer orders and pick-ups on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but we are trying to be really flexible with their virtual schedules and times,” said Hasbrouck, the director of the Center for Volunteer Programs and Service Learning.
“We’ll be able to serve our students at Vulcan Village and also be able to accommodate other students if there’s a need locally that we can address on a case-by-case basis.”
Although in-person donations are not being accepted this fall, financial contributions can be made to the Cupboard via Square.
Donations of food, school supplies and hygiene items can be ordered through an Amazon Wish List designed specifically for the Cal U Cupboard.
Each order from the list will be shipped directly to the Vulcan Village Clubhouse.
“With COVID, the relocation and donation options are needed more than ever,” Hasbrouck said. “Employment opportunities are limited during this time, many of our students struggle with multiple jobs, expenses, and we want to be able to help them avoid food insecurity issues during this pandemic."
Along with the order form, the new Cupboard website will contain various links to community resources, cost-effective recipes, cooking demonstrations, social media platforms, and other nutritional information. All Vulcan Village residents will be given flyers and other information about the Cal U Cupboard during Virtual Welcome Weekend.
“Our move and changes are challenging but exciting and necessary to keep the Cupboard effective,” said Hasbrouck. “We loved being at Natali, because when the campus is open, that’s a hub for student activities. Now we continue to go where the students are.
“We want to serve our students in the best way we possibly can and make sure their basic needs of food insecurity and other care items are being met.”
For more information email calucupboard@calu.edu or follow @CalUCupboard on Twitter and Instagram.