STUDENT CUPBOARD EXPANDS BATTLE AGAINST FOOD INSECURITY
By: Brittney Steele
Healthy or fresh food can be expensive, which is why it’s not always on the table for a college student.
“Being a student there’s a lot of financial burdens like student debt and tuition,” said Fresno State graduate student, Tu Pham. The Student Cupboard on campus can help provide cash-strapped students with some of life’s necessities.
The Student Cupboard is most commonly known as a mini grocery store for students, but it has so much more. The Catered Cupboard is the mobile app that lets students know when there is leftover food available on campus. The volunteers and workers at the Cupboard also help students with CalFresh applications to see if they are eligible for food stamps.
“It means reducing food waste, and then being able to feed hungry students, so it is really kind of two-fold. We really are able to really help out with that,” said Jessica Medina, the Food Security Project Coordinator.
The Cupboard has a diaper program for student parents and for students who have children in the home. There is also a How-To-Adult program where the Cupboard helps with healthy eating and cooking classes. They also offer hygiene packs once a month.
“During the academic school year, we see about 4600 students, on average. I have months where I see upwards of seven to eight thousand visits and some months where I see maybe two or three thousand visits,” said Medina.
Pham was not able to qualify for CalFresh, but he still plans to use the Student Cupboard. “I’m not sure where that is yet, but I think one of my classmates could let me know where that’s gonna be,” said Pham. Now he knows where he can always find a free meal.
Photo Gallery:
Tu Pham smiling at the ground at the CalFresh workshop. 
A basket of free oranges for students at the CalFresh workshop. 
Cans of tomato sauce and canned vegetables stacked in the student cupboard. 
This is the sample of what goes into a hygiene pack from the Cupboard. 
This is one of the walls full of boxes of diapers in the Student Cupboard. 
Another shelf in the Student Cupboard holding dry goods like rice and pasta.