Emporia State’s Basic Needs has made Corky’s Cupboard a student-only service following the passing of a resolution in Associated Student Government late last week that supported limiting the cupboard to student use.
The resolution, which passed 13-2-1 on April 9, came after Basic Needs took to both ASG and Faculty Senate for input on the target population and purpose of Corky’s Cupboard amid concerns over non-student use. The student-only policy, implemented at the discretion of Basic Needs, goes into effect Thursday, April 16.
Corky’s Cupboard opened in 2014 in response to the number of students on campus who reported being food-insecure. At the time, a survey taken by 40 ESU students indicated that 42% faced food insecurity, a number that now sits at 30%.
“The Associated Student Government formally shows its support for adding policy to Corky’s Cupboard to allow only current students of Emporia State University access to Corky’s Cupboard, which we believe will help decrease the amount of students facing food insecurity on campus, ensure the resources of Corky’s Cupboard are utilized by students only, and that students no longer have to compete with staff and faculty to utilize a program that was designed for students” the resolution reads in part.
“Visitors will be limited to enrolled students, as they are the ones financially supporting the pantry and are eligible for ESU services,” basic needs coordinator Robyn MacGregor told The Bulletin.
Corky’s Cupboard uses the Kansas Food Bank to replenish staples each month, but they supplement those staples weekly with purchases from WalMart. The money used to purchase those supplementals is a combination of funds from student tuition and donations from the ESU Foundation.
ESU began allowing faculty and staff to use Corky’s Cupboard during the Covid-19 pandemic. MacGregor said that policy has never been reviewed. ASG reported that 13 faculty and staff members have used Corky’s Cupboard over the last year; that includes 7 faculty and staff members who visit weekly. There was no indication as to whether those individuals are accessing Corky’s Cupboard for themselves or for students in need.
Corky’s Cupboard was “overflowing” before students returned from winter break, said MacGregor. When they arrived back, the pantry’s stock quickly became depleted.
“This has been my first year overseeing the pantry, so in fairness, I didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “But we received a significant donation from the Regents employees shortly after Can the Bods was completed, and it was hard to believe that much of the food could be gone so quickly.”
Sophomore elementary education unified major Franchesqua Hugi-McKeel spoke out against the efforts to limit the use of Corky’s Cupboard. During the April 9 senate meeting, she raised concerns over how it would affect faculty and staff who do not have the means to access other food pantries in Emporia. She suggested senators push to find solutions that would grow the cupboard and allow everyone to use it.
“That is my suggested resolution,” she said. “And I understand that there are ways that that is not reasonable to some people, but as a student I heard this, I listened, I saw the figures, I understood that there was a concern that this would be restricted from students. My suggestion is that we work harder to provide these resources for people that serve us.”
MacGregor clarified that the “rapid depletion” of food staples in Corky’s Cupboard isn’t because an “excessive” number of faculty and staff are using the pantry; the majority of those using the pantry are students.
“However, that doesn’t minimize the impact that opening the pantry to non-students has on our student population,” she said. “We depleted our stores because our students were using the pantry, which demonstrates the need students have and the importance of ensuring that they have the best chance of leaving the pantry with the food staples they need.”
