Submitted by Ben Geer of Grace Lutheran Church in Mankato.
Campus Cupboard (a ministry of Crossroads Campus Ministry and Minnesota State University–Mankato [MSU]) works as a food shelf for students to visit once a week to get food that they otherwise would not be able to access or afford. The community of MSU has been changing over the years. In the 2022 fall semester, the international student population on campus doubled in size. Many of these new students from out of the country had problems being able to find work the same way students from the U.S. can. As a result, they end up with food insecurities. This is where Campus Cupboard has been able to step in and help. Other area food shelves - especially those on campus - don’t put an emphasis on halal meats. Through funds received from the SEMN Synod Hunger Grant, Campus Cupboard is able to fund culturally appropriate food for its students. This shows them that Crossroads is a place where God’s love is put into action for anyone - no matter their religious background.
A difference is being made in a big way at Campus Cupboard. One gentleman said that because he had been able to use the food at Campus Cupboard, he was able to buy a car and take his wife to her chemo appointments. Another student said as he hadn’t had to ask his father for more money, his younger brother was going to be able to enroll in school the next fall. “The loaves and fishes may be Spaghetti-os and white rice, but they are still working miracles.”
