Salve addresses food insecurity with new campus initiative, Catherine’s Cupboard 

Food insecurity is a pressing global issue that often hides beneath the surface of seemingly affluent communities, effecting individuals and families from all walks of life. Countless individuals silently grapple with the challenges of access to sufficient, nutrient dense food, revealing that food insecurity is far more prevalent than is often acknowledged. 

To help combat food insecurity faced by both students and staff, the Center for Community Engagement and Service has created Catherine’s Cupboard — an anonymous food pantry filled with a variety of non-perishable items ranging from international favorites, student staples and allergen-friendly options. Within the food pantry, there are also community resources posted regarding job opportunities and other food accessibility programs.

The resources in Catherine’s Cupboard are almost entirely donation-based. To make donations to the food pantry, deliver them to Kelly Powers or Kathleen Rendos, director and assistant director of the Center for Community Engagement and Service, in Gerety Hall, Room 201.

Catherine’s Cupboard is in Gerety Hall, Room 211. It is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., and on Sundays from noon-8 p.m. 

A student’s passion for service 

Catherine’s Cupboard is an extension of the dedicated faculty, staff and students who live the Mercy Mission each day. One student, Abigail Mensonides ‘24, a double major in sociology and anthropology, and social work, has chosen to help develop Catherine’s Cupboard for her senior capstone project through the department of Cultural, Environmental and Global Studies (CEG), a department that not only offers an upper-level course SOA-350 Food Matters, but also a minor in food studies.

“Food insecurity can look so many different ways,” found Mensonides. “So, any way that our food pantry could help students to not worry about access to healthy food would be a really big accomplishment.” 

Mensonides has always had a passion for service. Throughout her four years at Salve Regina, Mensonides has worked closely with the Center for Community Engagement and Service. Through Salve, she has volunteered with Trinity Church and the Martin Luther King Center, a nonprofit community center based in Newport.  

“Volunteering is how I first became interested in hunger relief services,” said Mensonides. 

Mensonides volunteering at Catherine’s Cupboard.

In her capstone — an independent study under the course CEG-450 — she is working alongside sociologist Dr. Laura O’Toole to conduct research on the need for a food pantry at Salve. Through surveys, she will identify the need on campus and determine what needs to be provided for students regarding both food and community resources. 

She is also working directly with the Center for Community Engagement and Service to connect the pantry to community resources outside of the University such as the MLK Center and the Salvation Army.  

“When we think of Newport, we think a lot about affluence and wealth as seen with the mansions,” explained Mensonides. “But I think people often forget that there is a need for these resources around here, and I really want to show people that whether you’re in need or not, we’re here to support you.” 

From cupboard to classroom 

Catherine’s Cupboard has also been integrated into the course SWK-190 History Social Work/Social Welfare Policy, a course that is taught every spring semester. The course assists students in understanding how social policy is concerned with the ways society meets the human needs for security, education, work and well-being.  

Through this course, students will be creating policies for Catherine’s Cupboard that address eligibility, accessibility and food safety.

“I believe students having an active role in the cupboard’s delivery system will promote an understanding of the ways we can all respond to the issue of hunger that is plaguing so many Americans today,” explained Kelly O’Malley, lecturer in the Department of Social Work and instructor of the course SWK-190. 

“It is wonderful for students to become aware of the way their own educational community is committing to the alleviation of hunger.” 

Catherine’s Cupboard will play a vital role on campus, and Salve’s community acknowledges the indispensable contribution a food pantry has in fostering community resilience, promoting equal access to nourishment, and ultimately, working towards a world that is harmonious, just and merciful.  

“Whether or not we are social workers, each of us has a responsibility to eradicate hunger in a country where there is more than enough for all,” said O’Malley.

Anyone interested in volunteering with the food pantry should join the advisory committee. For more information on the committee, contact Community.Service@salve.edu. Catherine’s Cupboard is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., and on Sundays from noon-8 p.m. To learn more about Catherine’s Cupboard, request more information here.