Sarah’s Cupboard:Food Security for Students

By Tram Ho

On Sept. 30, Wilson College announced the grand opening of Sarah’s Cupboard.

Dean Mary Beth Williams hosted an opening ceremony for Sarah’s Cupboard. Dean Williams, Chaplain Emily Morgan and student Keion Adams ’17 are responsible for the creation of the project.

According to the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, 48% of college students face food insecurities and hunger during the course of a year. The primary mission of Sarah’s Cupboard is to provide emergency food for students to assist in their success during college.

Chaplain Morgan stated, “The idea is that if a student is hungry, they cannot concentrate on class and are more likely to miss classes or do poorly. If we can prevent a student from being hungry, we can ensure more students succeed.”

The cupboard also aims to create a connection to community resources by giving “community free meals and other food pantries,” according to the event flier.

The ceremony moved to Lenfest Commons 005 – the official location of the Sarah’s cupboard – for a ribbon cutting. Then, Dean Williams and Chaplain Morgan spoke about the operation of Sarah’s Cupboard.

Students can visit the cupboard twice a month with their student I.D. card. The Cupboard is designed much like a store for students to pick up items It uses a point system where there is a ten-point maximum for a single student and a fifteen-point maximum for a single parent with children for each visit. Students can get enough food for three days, as each point can purchase one to three items.

The Cupboard provides a variety of things such as jellies, ramen, snacks, beans, soup, and pasta. Students can get food from the Cupboard to make their favorite recipes, for example, ramen and green beans.

Students are given a shopping list during visit with confidential information. This way, the staff can keep better track of what students want and need.

Sarah’s Cupboard is open Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. If these time do not work, students can arrange a visit by appointment with Chaplain Morgan. The Cupboard is also open during breaks to ensure that all students have enough food during their stay at Wilson.

For more information, feel free to contact Chaplain Morgan at emily.morgan@wilson.edu or 717-264-4141.