Minnesota State Mankato Staff, Departments Donate Meals to Students in Need, Campus Kitchen at Minnesota State Mankato
NOTE: Donations to Campus Kitchen at Minnesota State Mankato may be made by its crowdfunding page.
Mankato, Minn. – Staff members from Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Diversity and Inclusion division and Career Development Center have been providing free frozen meals and meal vouchers this week to students with food insecurities as well as to the Campus Kitchen at Minnesota State Mankato.
The frozen food donations included approximately 40 chicken pot pie meals and 25 prepared chicken alfredo meals.
During this time when many University employees are telecommuting, the Campus Kitchen at Minnesota State Mankato’s “Little Fridge and Bread Cart” will remain stocked, and inventories will be checked once per day three or four days per week.
Students in need of food are invited to check for updates at the Campus Kitchen at Minnesota State Mankato Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CKMNSUMankato/
A small number of food vouchers are still available for students in need. For more information, or to check on availability of vouchers, please contact Benjamin Thao, recruitment and retention advisor, by phone at 507-389-5594 or email at benjamin.thao@mnsu.edu.
Campus Kitchen at Minnesota State Mankato, one of several independent programs sponsored by students at colleges and universities across the country, has been in operation since 2005. Since then, Campus Kitchen at Minnesota State Mankato has distributed more than 89,148 meals and recovered more than 174,997 pounds of food.
Campus Kitchen at Minnesota State Mankato operates in a Kitchen at Crossroads Lutheran Campus Ministry, located at 331 Dillon Ave., Mankato. A food pantry operated by students for students, the Campus Cupboard, is also located at Crossroads Lutheran Campus Ministry.
According to NASPA, an organization of Student Affairs Administrators in higher education, significant numbers of college students face food insecurity. More information is available in a NASPA blog article.
Among numerous other efforts, Minnesota State Mankato bargaining units organize an annual “Unions United Food Drive” each November and December to benefit the Echo Food Shelf in Mankato. Student organizations frequently organize food drives throughout the year during Homecoming week, National Homelessness and Hunger Awareness week and other community engagement events.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,297 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.
