Charlie’s Cupboard fights against food insecurity
Charlie’s Cupboard provides food and personal care products to students at zero cost. The cupboard is located in the Center for Continuing Education building and is open to all USD students every other Thursday from 4-7 p.m.
“The mission behind Charlie’s Cupboard is to provide a fluid cupboard on campus for USD students, and the beauty behind that kind is that it is a no questions, no information-based program. Any student can come get resources and food and leave without any questions,” Charlie’s Cupboard supply chain manager, Kianna Thelen, said.
Any student can come get food from Charlie’s Cupboard whether they’re in need of food or not, Thelen said.
“It has been super awesome because we have people who have families where mom and dad (are) trying to pay for college, and we’ll give them resources to come get food, or maybe you just have college students that are super busy and don’t have time to go to the store, it’s an option for them to come get food. It is an all-around service for anyone who is at USD, even if they’re commuting,” Thelen said.
The cupboard is becoming much more than just a place where students can come get food, cupboard president Nate Popp said.
“This year we are focusing a little bit more on mental health resources on campus, maybe not ones that we can provide, but we can give direction as to where to go with mental resources,” Popp said.
The cupboard has served as many as 250 students a week this year.
“We had a friend who was facing food insecurity, and you would have never guessed she was facing food insecurity. It is kind of expected as college students to not have food and that should not be the case, students should have just as much food security as anyone else. It should not be something you are expected to experience in college. Helping fellow students is what drove me to be involved with the cupboard,” Popp said.
The cupboard is open this Thursday. Students are able to select the items they need and take as much as they want.
