The student-run food pantry is open for the last three Tuesdays of each month from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Multicultural Center. Students in need of assistance may visit the pantry during these times and receive up to 12 items from the selection of fresh fruit, canned goods, toiletries and other food items.
One of the volunteers at Cardinal Kitchen knows what it feels like to have a hard time getting enough money to buy food.
That's the reason Rachel Johnson, a senior social work major and the volunteer coordinator for Cardinal Kitchen, wants to make sure people aren't ashamed of asking for help, and know the true meaning of food insecurity. At Cardinal Kitchen, a student-run food pantry, students can come in to get food, toiletries or other supplies they may need if they can't afford it.
“People think food insecurity, and they think you’re always hungry, and you never have the money," Johnson said. "That’s not the case. It can just be a bad week. I’ve had those months where my car’s broken down, [I’ve] still gotta pay rent, still gotta pay bills, still gotta pay for my tuition, but food has to happen."
This is Cardinal Kitchen's second semester, and organizers are aiming to build community partnerships and raise awareness about student food insecurity after a successful first semester, Johnson said.
Last semester, she said she wasn’t expecting much of a turnout for the SGA-initiated service. But after helping 186 different student visitors and distributing an average of 600 items per week, Johnson said Cardinal Kitchen warrants a spot in Ball State’s community.
“It is something that Ball State has shown that it needs because of the amount of people we see every week and see returning and from the feedback we hear,” she said.
The pantry was used a total of 461 times last semester, amounting to about 30 to 40 visitors a week, she said.
“It really does feel like a dream come true because it’s gone so well,” she said.
Senior accounting major Derek Hugo, the pantry’s executive director, said Cardinal Kitchen’s success was validated by the number of emails they received over the summer from other universities wanting to visit in order to learn how to start and manage their own student food pantries.
One of last year’s goals that will again be stressed this year is ensuring Cardinal Kitchen’s message spreads as far as it can.
“Follow us on Facebook, like us on Twitter,” Hugo said. “And really that’s just because you never know who in your friends list might need help, but maybe they feel uncomfortable asking for it.”
In addition to increasing outreach, Jes Wade, public administration graduate student and unit director of Cardinal Kitchen, said she hopes to seal a partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank in Muncie this year, which she said would be “a complete game changer.”
Becoming partners would save Cardinal Kitchen money when shopping for items not provided through donations, Wade said. They could purchase items directly from Second Harvest, which would allow them to focus on more quality food over quantity.
According to a 2014 report from Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks that provides assistance to 46.5 million people, 10 percent of their adult clients are students—a statistic that Hugo said is relevant to Ball State.
However, Hugo said there is still a stigma around asking for assistance that stops many from seeking the help they need.
“There’s not a person out there who’s not hungry at some point in their lives," Johnson said. "If we as a college community aren’t supporting those students in that need, what are we doing?”
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