Where does our food come from?

• Most of our food comes from food bank hubs in the twin cities such as Loaves and Fishes and the Food Group, which either donate items to us or sell them at a deeply discounted price. Most of the food from these types of hubs is surplus from large grocery stores, so the items on offer depend on what the local grocery stores over-ordered or under-sold that week. That’s why we’re able to provide name brand and high quality items, but also why some high-demand foods are only inconsistently available.
• We also get food donations from local non-profits such as North Country Food Alliance (which brings us Trader Joe’s surplus on Monday afternoons) and Twin Cities Food Justice (which donates Whole Foods surplus on Thursday mornings).
• During the growing season (around June-October), we also glean surplus produce from the Mill City Farmers Market and receive local produce from the Good Acre.

Why is so much of our food often about to expire?

• Most of our food comes from grocery stores’ surplus, and the stores choose which food to donate for a few different reasons, one of which is if they have more of a food item than they’ll be able to sell before it expires. Because we have such high turnover rates, it makes sense for us to keep these perfectly good items from going to waste by distributing them to you more quickly than the store could to their customers.
• Our student leaders check all of our perishables every day to make sure we only offer you foods that are still safe and delicious.
• Learn more about how to interpret expiration and “best by” dates on our expiration date fact sheet!

When do we get more food in?

• We receive weekly deliveries every morning Monday-Thursday before the Cupboard opens, as well as on Monday afternoons.
• We also store surplus items in a storage room, so feel free to ask the student leader if one of our regular items is out of stock.

Where does our funding come from?

• Augsburg supplies a small annual operating budget to Campus Kitchen each year, which helps cover some basic costs of running the Cupboard as well as wages for our student leadership team.
• We also draw on our fundraising from Give to the Max each November to help cover other Cupboard costs throughout the year, and we sometimes receive grants from the government and foundations.

Is there a limit to how much I can take?

• No! Always take as much as you want.

Is there a limit to how often I can come?

• No! Come as often as yAou like.

Where are the bags / can I have a bag?

• Please bring your own bags if possible. But if you need one, there are bags to the left when you enter the Cupboard, or ask the student leader if you don’t see any set out.

 

Still have questions? Email us at campuskitchen@augsburg.edu.