University’s ‘Cardinal Cupboard’ Helps Campus Community Succeed Through Sustenance

The SUNY Plattsburgh food-and-non-consumables pantry Cardinal Cupboard has seen steady increases in usage over the last several years, so much so that several satellite locations have been opened across campus.

Tessa Rogers, student outreach and support coordinator in Access and Opportunities Programs office who is in charge of the cupboard, said her goal is to de-stigmatize asking for help and to facilitate that, she wants to make sure no student experiences food insecurity.

Cardinal Cupboard is a fully stocked market where those who need it can “shop” shelves containing canned goods, cereal and other boxed foods, fruit, spices and cooking supplies, condiments, protein foods, home cleaning and personal hygiene products as well as refrigerated and frozen foods in the cupboard’s two refrigerators and one upright freezer.

There is also a fresh produce tower garden, which currently features fresh leafy vegetables and herbs and come fall will include tomatoes and cucumbers among other products.

“In order for students to thrive, they need to survive, and they can’t succeed when they’re wondering where their next meal is coming from or where they’re going to lay their head,” Rogers said. So beyond the main location in the corner of Burghy’s Den in the Angell College Center, the cupboard has satellite locations.

Satellite Locations

“We have a location in Sibley Hall, which is restocked every week with various items — things that could make a meal, as well as personal hygiene items,” she said. Other locations are outside Student Support Services in Macomb Hall, the HUB in the ACC, and a new, fourth location will be open in Au Sable Hall in time for the fall semester.

Rogers said initially they asked for a shelf somewhere in Au Sable, “and they gave us a room. We’re very excited about that. So now we’re hitting all corners of campus,” she said.

Need is Great

Expanding beyond the ACC location indicates that the need is great.

During the 2025-2026 academic year, the Cardinal Cupboard had 1,776 appointments, meaning a combination of in-person visits, orders made for the new refrigerator lockers, and orders made through the online portal, as compared to the prior year, which logged in 1,674 appointments.

“There is a misconception that college students’ meals are provided for them,” Rogers said.

SUNY Plattsburgh students are required to live in the residence halls for their first two years. That will cost first-year students between $7,252 and $7,520 for their meal plans, depending on which plan they choose. Sophomore students and beyond can choose plans that run $5,510 and $6284.

The least expensive plan is $3,872 for juniors and seniors.

“First-year students have unlimited access to dining facilities, but once a student moves past their first year, they’re thinking about how they’re going to be able to survive and pay their bills,” Rogers said. Many have to pick the least expensive meal plan, and that can lead to times of food insecurity.

“We see pockets of time when students are struggling,” Rogers said. She said they see an uptick at the start of the semester, when students are trying to figure out how to budget meal swipes or Dining Dollars — cash equivalents included in the dining service meal plans, and at the end of the school year, when students have run out of swipes. Through Cardinal Cupboard, students can create meals that can tide them over or supplement what they can access through dining facilities.

“Some students coordinate with each other, where one will pick up three items and the other student picks up three other items and together, they’re able to make meals that could last them several days. Or they can combine and make a nice family-style meal.”

The need doesn’t end when classes do in December or May. Students use the pantry during the summer as well.

Consistent Summer Usage

“We have a group of about 20 students who regularly use Cardinal Cupboard this summer,” Rogers said.

The majority of students throughout the year order ahead of time and either come into the ACC location where a student work will have fulfilled the requests or they place an order for pickup at the new lockers located just outside the main cupboard.

“The new locker program is available for access whenever the building is open, even if we’re not,” Rogers said. Students place their order and receive a code via email. The lockers are refrigerated but they’re not for frozen foods.

“If they need frozen items, they’ll have to stop by when we’re here for those items,” Rogers said. The Cardinal Cupboard has a full upright freezer as well as two refrigerators with top freezers.

‘Making Students Feel Welcome’

“My priority is making students feel welcome,” she said. “If students aren’t familiar with the cupboard, I or the student worker will walk them around and show them what we have. We encourage people who are newer to just walk around, like they would during any normal shopping experience.”

They also offer suggests so students can think of other ways to use what they have chosen.

“Say they chose canned tuna or chicken. We’ll say, ‘I see you chose tuna. Do you have mayo or bread?’ as a way to help them supplement what they are picking up.”

Students ordering from Cardinal Cupboard get 25 credits a week. Some items are zero credits, like feminine hygiene items; larger items might be two credits. Rogers said most are one credit. The 25 credits translate to about $30 to $50 worth of items weekly.

And all students, whether they access the Cardinal Cupboard or not, can also find healthy snacks and in-season fresh fruits on the center island that they can help themselves to whenever the cupboard is open for those times they’re feeling a little peckish, Rogers said.

Now on Instagram

Rogers said they’re now on Instagram — @plattsburgh_cardinalcupboard — and hope to update information on a regular basis. They also want to start a “Recipe of the Week” feature where a student will prepare a meal using products from the pantry.

Nidhi Patel, who will be a junior in the fall, stopped by recently to pick up her order. The international student from Kenya said she uses the cupboard to make ends meet, especially on weekends.

“I love it (Cardinal Cupboard). It’s a good thing to have here as students struggle financially; they don’t have to go hungry,” Patel said. “If you live on campus, you have to have a meal plan. Over the weekend, you might want to cook something with your friends. The variety of selections is good. It’s really helpful.” And, she said, it’s that much less that she has to buy.

SNAP Benefits

Another benefit offered through Cardinal Cupboard is helping eligible students apply for the New York state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Empire Service Corps students will become SNAP certified to help fill out applications and be able to see if a student is SNAP-eligible, Rogers said. The Service Corps worker at Au Sable will host office hours to help with SNAP applications as well.

“Our whole reason for being here is to help students thrive and succeed,” Rogers said. “It’s not just a SUNY Plattsburgh problem; it’s an everywhere problem. My priority is to make it less of a problem for our students.”

Cardinal Cupboard summer hours are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday for in-person and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday for locker orders to be placed. Fall hours are tentatively 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday for in-person and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday for locker orders.

For more information, contact Tessa Rogers, student outreach and support coordinator, at 518-564-3811 or email [email protected].

— Story, Photos of Tessa Rogers, Brigid Downs and Joshua Severino, and Nidhi Patel by Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs; Cardinal Cupboard File Photos by Hunter Mossey, multimedia coordinator