Looking Ahead In January 2022 , Catherine ’ s Cupboard and the CSBN consortium hope to launch their expansion pilot program which will serve as a model for other college campuses . The consortium recently received several grants from local foundations to help kickstart the pilot .
Assistant Director of Campus Ministry for Community Service Betsy Stone Plummer has been leading the project and has been working with other departments on campus to offer a variety of internship opportunities for GMercyU students . Interns ’ roles will vary depending on their areas of study .
By Summer 2022 , the CSBN consortium hopes to gain two fulltime volunteers from AmeriCorps VISTA and Mercy Volunteer Corps . In collaboration with Montgomery County Community College , one volunteer will work on their campus and the other will work on GMercyU ’ s Gwynedd Valley campus .
With more volunteers and interns , Catherine ’ s Cupboard ’ s reach will be able to grow exponentially . One of the goals of the pilot launch is to develop a community within the Catherine ’ s Cupboard clientele . Another is to create a website with a resource center for college students in the Montgomery County community . Another goal they ’ re striving to reach is to create more affordable housing options for GMercyU and Montgomery County Community College students . In the end , Catherine ’ s Cupboard wishes to create a more sustainable
Catherine Cupboard has a new home on campus , the Tabor House .
and systemic way to distribute goods and combat food and basic needs insecurity among college students .
“ Our ultimate goal is to create sort of a model for that kind of collaboration for other institutions and their communities ,” said Plummer .
If you or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity or you would like to help with Catherine ’ s Cupboard ’ s initiatives , please reach out via email to
catherinescupboard @ gmercyu . edu .
Catherine ’ s Cupboard and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Much like the rest of the world , the operations of Catherine ’ s Cupboard were put on hold at the start of the pandemic . Unsure of when they would reopen operations , Betsy Stone Plummer and her team donated any items Catherine ’ s Cupboard had left to local organizations . With students unable to access campus , Catherine ’ s Cupboard sent out several thousand dollars ’ worth of grocery gift cards to homes upon request .
PRESIDENT ’ S REPORT 11