By Maurice “Moe” Murray

I received an opportunity to perform my service learning project by reaching out to one of the students, Jason Glynn, who spoke in my class about possibly volunteering. I went to the Captain’s Cupboard and went through a brief orientation with one of the volunteers about the requirements of receiving services there, and how to sign in students that needed to receive services.
Starting four years ago, students from Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society and former SMCC President James Ortiz came together to talk about barriers to student success at SMCC. From these discussions it was determined providing students with access to an on-campus food pantry would address issues of retention, and student persistence. The first location of the pantry was in the basement of Hague Hall, which leaked and was unfit for food storage. While the location of the pantry stalled, students actively looked into the needs of students on campus.
From a survey conducted through the initiative of the Student Senate, students determined 2.8% of students are homeless, 31.5% struggled to keep food on the table consistently, and 9.9% did not have adequate transportation which prohibited them from accessing food. The results from the student survey proved there was a high need for on-campus resources.
In the fall of 2013, current President Ron Cantor gifted part of a building on campus to house the pantry. Additionally, SMCC partnered with Good Shepard Food Bank to become a test site for the school pantry program at the college/university level. As of November 2013 the Captain’s Cupboard opened its doors to all students at SMCC. The Captain’s Cupboard is need blind, meaning students do not need to be flagged to access the pantry. The pantry currently provides food, personal items, school supplies, and a limited supply of clothing.
The populations served by the Captain’s Cupboard are any of the currently enrolled SMCC students who are in need, and are struggling to get by. The services provided by this program are mainly food; however, there are an assortment of other things that are given to students. For example, any of the students can come down and get school supplies if they are unable to afford them. Occasionally there are also hygienic items available; soap, tampons, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.
The Captain’s Cupboard is located on the SMCC campus in the Captain’s House, and it’s like coming to an office, but to receive something that you need, not to see a doctor or a physician.
I spent my time there being helpful to the patrons of the Captain’s Cupboard by assisting them in obtaining what they needed, and helping them make the best choices according to what was available to them. I also physically lent a helping hand to a few patrons when it was necessary. Among other things, when the place wasn’t busy, I also took the time to stock the shelves with items from the storage closet, cleaned up a little bit, and emptied the trash.
My overall experience working at the Captain’s Cupboard gave a great sense of pride because I was doing something for the sole purpose of benefiting another human being. It also made me feel good to know that, even when no one came, my presence made it possible for any student in need to come and get what they needed should they have the desire to come. Furthermore, I was very surprised by seeing the different races, ages, and nationalities of all the different students that were provided service by the Captain’s Cupboard. I learned that people from all walks of life experience hardships. Most of all, I learned that it’s okay to reach out for help, which is something that I often struggled with.

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