Student Government Association to increase Cardinal Kitchen funds

By the numbers:

January:

Expenses: $1425.25

Participants: 81

February:

Expenses: $736.45

Participants: 158

Source: Cardinal Kitchen Bi-monthly Report

Cardinal Kitchen, a student pantry on campus, will receive additional funding to help sustain itself so it can continue to feed students in need.

The Student Government Association passed a bill on Wednesday granting the kitchen 6.5 percent, $6,500, of the SGA budget on a yearly basis. The bill passed with a 40-1 vote from the senate. 

SGA typically receives a $100,000 budget each year.

The pantry was originally allocated $2,500, plus an additional $700, according to the budget.

Even though the kitchen will receive the funds starting next year, Cardinal Kitchen director Jes Wade said it still would not be enough money.

“We have anywhere from 45-60 students come on any given Wednesday, and the demand is growing as the Cardinal Kitchen is getting more established here on campus," Wade said.

Wade said she hopes to have the kitchen open at least once a month during the summer.

With the funds, Wade said they hope to partner with Second Harvest Food Bank to provide more nutritious and quality food.

“We are always in need of food and always in need of donations that can help,” Wade said.

The bill has more than 500 student sponsors.

“Students have been in full support of the Cardinal Kitchen,” Wade said. “Ball State is really into this.”

President Nick Wilkey said the allocated money should not affect the budget for Atlas next year because SGA will not be spending $7,000 on pride guides, so there will be money in the budget for the pantry.

Treasurer Sidney Staples said starting the pantry was one of the current slate’s platform points, and it would be feasible to provide the funding.

“It really benefits a lot of people on campus, so it's something that I would like to continue to see happen,” Staples said. “It would suck to see all of everybody’s hard work go down the drain. This is something positive and productive to the university.”

Wilkey said there is discussion about moving the pantry to another location because the multicultural center is not large enough to accommodate the high volume of students.

The pantry is open the first three Wednesdays of every month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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