Food

Food Assistance

The following is a list of food assistance programs and other support services:

On-Campus

• Corky’s Cupboard 

  • Emporia State’s on-campus food pantry provides temporary food assistance to students. The pantry, located in the Memorial Union in Room 147 at the south end of the Center for Student Involvement, is open Mondays and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m. The pantry offers fresh produce, refrigerated goods, and toiletries in addition to non-perishable pantry items. 

• Fresh Ideas

  • If your class schedule or other circumstances prevent you from using your meal plan during typical hours, contact the Fresh Ideas Director to help you develop a to-go meal plan. The Fresh Ideas Director can be contacted by email at esudining@emporia.edu or by phone at (620) 341-5903.

  • If you have food allergies or other dietary restrictions that cause you concern for your ability to use your meal plan, schedule a meeting with the Fresh Ideas Director by email at esudining@emporia.edu or by phone at (620) 341-5903 . If you have a severe, medically-diagnosed and documented dietary condition and Sodexo Dining Services cannot meet your needs, contact Student Accessibility and Support Service (SASS), at sass@emporia.edu or (620) 341-6637 to inquire about applying for a Meal Plan Medical Exemption.

Emporia & Greater Lyon County

The following are food assistance programs and services in the Emporia area:

• Abundant Harvest Food Kitchen

• Americus Community Food Pantry

• Blessing Boxes (1702 W 15th, 420 W 15th or the 700 of Block of Commercial)

• Catholic Charities Resource Bus

• Church of Christ (Friday meals)

• ECKAN

• First Christian Church Food Pantry

• First Congregational Church Pantry

• First United Methodist Church Pantry

• Food for Students 

• Grace United Methodist Church (Blessing Box Food Pantry & Gardens)

• Heritage Pentecostal Church Pantry

• Lyon County WIC

• Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church’s John and Frances Ice Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry

• Salvation Army

• United Methodist Campus Ministry (Monday night meal)

For a complete listing and further information, please see the "Food Relief" listings on www.emporiastrong.com. 

SNAP Benefits

Some ESU students may be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP benefits. Find more information and learn about your eligibility on the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service website. You can also call the Emporia office phone number at 620-342-2505. In Kansas, you can apply online on the Kansas Department for Children and Families website. 

Resources Beyond Emporia

• For those elsewhere in Kansas, check listings available through the Kansas Food Bank. Call 316-265-3663, e-mail info@kansasfoodbank.org, or visit the “Need Food” page on the organization’s website for information about food assistance in your area.

• The WhyHunger Hotline can connect you with food assistance resources local to you. Call 1(800) 5-HUNGRY (English) or 1(877)8-HAMBRE (Spanish), text your zip code to 1-800-548-6479, or use the form on www.whyhunger.org to locate a local emergency food provider and other support services.

• The United Way can connect individuals with community resources. The United Way also supports 211, a free and confidential service that helps people across North America find the local resources they need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Visit http://211.org/ or call 211 in the United States to learn more.

Food Sources

The following is a listing of grocery stores and other food retailers in the Emporia area: 

• ALDI

• Carniceria Don Luis

• Dillons Food Store

• Dollar General (12th)

• Dollar General (6th)

• Dollar General (Industrial)

• Emporia Farmers Market

• Good’s Cash Savers

• Hornets Nest Express

• Maria’s Mexican/American Imports

• Nature’s Paradise

• Reeble’s Country Mart

• Rosy’s Market

• Ruyi Asian Market

• Variedades El Salvador

• Walmart Supercenter

Visit "Food Sources" for maps to the above locations. 

Relevant Campus & Community Organizations 

In addition to the organizations identified above, the following are campus and community organizations that are working to address food insecurity and equity issues in our local food system: 

• EAT Initiative

  • This is a collaborative and interdisciplinary effort to address food insecurity on Emporia State University’s campus and in the greater Emporia community. 

• Hornets Against Hunger

  • This is a registered student organization dedicated to fighting food insecurity. Students will work together on community service projects focused on helping those who face the challenge, including a community garden that provides fresh produce for Corky’s Cupboard. 

• Lyon County Food & Farm Council

  • This is an entity commissioned by the Lyon County Commissioners that aims to identify and propose innovative solutions to improve local food systems and improve health outcomes for the citizens of Lyon County.

• Healthier Lyon County

  • The mission of Healthier Lyon County (HLC) is to support and encourage initiatives, policies, and resources to improve the health and well-being of residents of Lyon County. This includes work related to access to healthy food.