Charlie’s Cupboard is dedicated to addressing food insecurity and improving the lives of students at the University of South Dakota by providing food and personal care products.
Thursday: 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday: 2:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Pop-up cupboard hours)
Feeding America is a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries. For more than 40 years, Feeding America has responded to the needs of individuals struggling with food insecurity in this country. In times of uncertainty, they have not wavered from their mission to end the fight against hunger.
10% of Feeding America’s participants are college students. Additionally, nearly 1 in 4 households must choose between paying for food and paying for school loans, tuition, and other educational expenses.
You may also qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through your state of residence. For more information, and to apply, please click the link below or call your state Department of Social Services. Learn more about applying for SNAP/nutrition assistance.
For more information, pamphlets are available on the resource board outside of Charlie’s Cupboard.
Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap Project recognizes Clay County, home of USD, as one of the most underserved communities in South Dakota in terms of food insecurity. According to national research, 2,420 USD students may have experienced some level of food insecurity in the previous month and more than 3,000 have in the previous year.
The Clay County Community Connection Center (CCC) is a one-stop-shop for multiple services, including, but not limited to, United Way of Vermillion, the Vermillion Food Pantry, the Weekend Backpack Program, The Welcome Table, and Salvation Army.
The highlight of my USD experience was helping co-found Charlie's Cupboard, USD's first on-campus food pantry. Since then I have helped serve over 2,000 fellow students and had the opportunity to network with many inspirational and motivated individuals.
Nathan Popp
B.S. Medical Biology '22
Garretson, SD
