By Tony Salazar / AmigosNAZ intern
Every year in America the price of higher education continues to rise at astronomical rates. This year alone for an incoming freshman at Northern Arizona University one can expect to pay about $25,000 as a resident in-state student. These fees increase to about $37,000 for non-resident students, who are a large population at NAU. In this are included fees, tuition, books and various other educational needs. This does not include the other necessities of life like food, rent and utilities and everything required to survive day-to-day lives. With the debt one acquires to reach a better place in life, it is a wonder one is able to attend college at all. Yes, some say, “Well I survived off ramen when I was in college,” but let us remember that a hungry student is not a successful student. Now, thanks to organizations like Louie’s Cupboard at Northern Arizona University, students are hoping to make a change to help relieve the burden of getting a higher education.
Louie’s Cupboard is a student-run organization very similar to a community food bank, where donations are brought in, collected and distributed to those students most in need. The only requirement to receive assistance is basic demographic information and a student ID. This is done to make sure no hungry student is turned away. The organization, which was started two years ago, currently has about 100 students registered, and has distributed to about 30 students once a month. It is the goal of Louie’s Cupboard to make sure no student goes hungry, so recently it has increased this distribution to twice a month to reach as many students as possible.
Louie’s Cupboard owes its success to its benefactors, who make cash donations that are then used to go to local supermarkets to purchase food for distribution. The organization also does community outreach by placing boxes in and around the Flagstaff area. These boxes are then generously filled by local residents. A major part of what keeps Louie’s Cupboard filled is attributed to the donations of the Flagstaff Family Food Center, which allows the organization to go into their food stores to shop for what is most needed by students.
Louie’s Cupboard has been lucky enough to give to needy students, and works completely off volunteer workers and donations. This holiday season it hopes to spread the spirit of giving not only now, but throughout the year.
Anyone wanting to contribute time or donations can do so by logging on to www.trueblueconnect.edu, and finding out more about Louie’s Cupboard. It is important to remember that the students Louie’s Cupboard reaches are those in our community who are in our shoes, have been in our shoes, or are like someone we know.
— Tony Salazar is an intern with AmigosNAZ and a communications major at Northern Arizona University. For more information about Louie’s Cupboard, visit https://www.facebook.com/LouieCupboard or https://nau.collegiatelink.net/organization/LouiesCupboard.