What started as a student-run Anthropology class project in 2013 blossomed into a section of the Student Life Lounge by 2014. Since then, Clyde’s Cupboard has become a staple of the University Center, with 880 students using the cupboard in September this year.
Clyde’s Cupboard is a non-need-based food pantry on campus that is open Monday through Friday. It also provides toiletries and feminine products. Graduate assistant for the cupboard Olivia McKenna said in an email that Thursdays and Fridays are the best days to come to the Cupboard, adding that every other Friday is Fresh Food Friday, while the cupboard provides fresh produce and dairy products.
Fresh Food Fridays have seen a higher turnout this semester than previous years, but the daily attendance average at the cupboard is 30 so far this semester, a slight decline from the fall 2023 average of 34 students daily.
Sophomore Carter Bergeron said he hasn’t been a lot this semester but enjoys having it as an option. Bergeron went frequently last semester because it was a great way to get snacks while living in the dorms. “For what it is, I feel like it does a pretty good job,” he said.
McKenna has shared some students like the cupboard for its universal openness. Since the cupboard is non-need-based, she said students don’t feel like they have to prove their circumstances to get help.
“I believe Clyde’s Cupboard is a very successful program. We are continually working to enhance our services so that we can better meet the needs of our students,” McKenna wrote. “This includes gathering feedback, expanding our services and ensuring that we provide a welcoming and culturally competent environment.”
Clyde’s Cupboard is located in the Student Life Lounge in the University Center. Photo by Josiah Dolan.