GRANTS, N.M. — The Grants Aggie Cupboard is a program that two NMSU Grants faculty members officially started on November 12, 2021. Associate Professor of Mathematics/Mathematics and Program Manager David Bishop and Criminal Justice Program Manager Megan Stoneking started the cupboard program with the hope of reducing food insecurity for students at NMSU Grants, and the program has been thriving since then.
The Aggie Cupboard program originally started in Las Cruces, New Mexico, at NMSU Main Campus. Bishop and Stoneking thought the program would be beneficial if implemented at NMSU Grants, especially considering the prominence of food insecurity in Cibola County. According to health data from New Mexico's Indicator-Based Information System, "The USDA estimates that as of 2017, 326,000 people, including over 118,000 children, in New Mexico are food insecure. That means 1 in 6 individuals (15.5 percent) and 1 in 4 children (24 percent) live in homes without consistent access to adequate food. McKinley, Luna, and Cibola Counties had the highest percentages of food insecurity for all persons and for children."
When the first round of government stimulus checks was dispersed, Bishop and his wife, among other NMSU faculty and organizations, finally saw an opportunity to make the program happen at NMSU Grants. “The pandemic has caused tremendous stress for many, especially for those with food insecurities. While the pandemic wasn’t the reason, it fueled the motivation to make this effort happen,” shared NMSU Grants Professor of Rhetoric and Communication Beth Humphreys.
Nearly four months later, the program has proven to be a success. About three weeks ago, a photo was posted to the NMSU Grants Campus Facebook page of the Grants Aggie Cupboard stocked full of food and personal items. The post read, “The Grants Aggie Cupboard is a campus pantry that provides food and personal items to registered NMSU students, adult education students, faculty, and staff at no-charge. The Grants Aggie Cupboard has recieved 1,220 lbs of donated items to date. We have helped 28 patrons fight food insecurity. This is all possible thanks to the generosity of local businesses, patrons, and caring individuals.” (sic.)
This week, NMSU Grants received news that they would be given even more support for the program, as they have been chosen as a recipient of the College Hunger Grant, awarded by the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED). A selection committee that included officials from both the NMHED and Governor’s Farm and Hunger Initiative reviewed a proposal drafted by NMSU Grants faculty and ultimately decided that the campus’s “Feeding and Educating Students to Succeed Academically (FESSA)” project would provide necessary food pantry services to the NMSU Grants community and deserved funding of a total of $20,000.
NMSU Grants Campus announced the news via a social media post, writing, “These funds will support ongoing food distribution at the Grants Aggie Cupboard and provide funds for new initiatives addressing food insecurities on campus and in our community. We would like to thank David Bishop, Megan Stoneking, Beth Humphreys, and Patrick Clingman for their vision in planning and writing this proposal. The proposal was grounded in research, data, and carefully explained how these funds could assist our students and our campus.”
According to NMSU Grants Associate Campus Director Marlene Chavez-Toivanen, the FESSA project will be beneficial to aiding the fight against food insecurity, but it will also go beyond that. “A primary purpose of the "Feeding and Educating Students to Succeed Academically (FESSA)" grant is to provide NMSU Grants students educational opportunities and tools necessary to increase their food security well beyond the duration of the grant,” explained Chavez-Toivanen. The Associate Campus Director elaborated, adding that the project seeks to specifically address limited food access to rural residents by promoting the “strong agricultural tradition” and spirit that New Mexico possesses.
“[O]ne of the best ways for a community to fight against hunger is by growing food. Teaching students to produce their own food lessens the impact of not having nearby grocery stores. It also allows students to share this information with others in their communities,” said Chavez-Toivanen. This solution is even more feasible now that NMSU Grants has a container farm on campus, which has made agricultural studies and research, as well as the growth of fresh food, all possible and all within reach of NMSU Grants students.
The FESSA project also incorporates the distribution of personal items, such as infant care and hygienic materials, so that the Cupboard may serve a larger number of students and hopefully reduce the stigma of receiving such services in the process. “By eliminating the negative perception of food assistance, the outreach will be greater, and the Cupboard will need adequate amounts of food and personal care items to distribute,” said Chavez-Toivanen.
Therefore, the College Hunger Grant will ultimately make it possible for the Grants Aggie Cupboard to expand their services in an even more impactful way and also allow for students to personally gain knowledge on the long-term benefits of agriculture.
NMSU Grants Professor Humphreys mentioned that the grant, which emphasizes awareness, even funds student attendance at various conferences. “With this expanding awareness, this could be the start of a dynamic effort in the community and surrounding communities to help families and people in need,” said Humphreys.
All contributing parties of the Grants Aggie Cupboard and the FESSA proposal/project are extremely excited to have received this grant for the NMSU Grants community and are optimistic about the positive impact it will have, not just on NMSU Grants students, but the surrounding communities at large.
“The grant allows the momentum to continue,” said Professor Humphreys. Chavez-Toivanen also added, “As Associate Campus Director, I am pleased and excited that this group took the initiative to address a very real social problem that exists in our community. I look forward to the good work to come by the implementation of this grant.”
Distribution dates for the month of March are Thursday, March 3, from noon to 3 p.m., Thursday, March 10, from noon to 3 p.m., Thursday, March 17, from noon to 3 p.m., March 21-25 Spring Break by Appointment Only, and Thursday, March 31, from noon to 3 p.m.
Community members can learn more about the Grants Aggie Cupboard by visiting https://grants.nmsu.edu/about/campus-services/nmsu-grantsaggie-cupboard.html. Anyone interested in donating can visit the main office at 1500 N.
Third Street or call in at 505-287-6678.