College students have enough to worry about: paying rent, making friends, getting to class on time, and graduating. They shouldn’t have to worry about where they'll find their next meal. Thanks to donations from generous people like you, the Cougar Cupboard serves students, faculty, and staff who experience food scarcity at any time for any reason.
If you’d like to help out by donating to the Cougar Cupboard, you can drop off items by bringing them to the front desk at the Cole Fitness Center in the basement of the Kelley Student Center. Want to help but don’t have extra items to bring? You can also give monetary gifts to the Cougar Cupboard.
Below are some of our most needed items for our students:
Donate to the Indiana University Kokomo Food Pantry
- Peanut butter
- Canned chicken/tuna
- Beans
- Canned chili
- Nuts
- Canned fruits and vegetables
- Applesauce
- Tomato juice
- Raisins
- Dried fruit
- Pasta
- Rice
- Cereal
- Noodles
- Oatmeal
- Baking mixes
- Soups
- Instant potatoes
- Mac and cheese
- Hamburger helper
- Spaghetti sauce
- Granola bars
- Crackers
- Popcorn
- Pudding
Drop Off Your Donations
There are boxes available in the Alumni Hall Welcome Center to receive donations.
When you give to the Cougar Cupboard, you can be sure your generosity is helping our campus and our community. We’re growing and serving more and more students with each passing year.
Frequently Asked Questions
- If a donation drive is not occurring, donations are received at the Cole Fitness desk during their hours of operation. Look for donation binds around campus in the future.
- The exception is grab and go items. These should be taken directly to the Student Life office
If you cannot bring in a donation during operating hours, feel free to contact SLCD@iu.edu and we can schedule a time that is convenient to bring in your donations. We thank you in advance for donating to a great cause.
All donations can be made to the front desk at the Cole Fitness Center, located in the basement of the IU Kokomo campus Library.
- The USDA permits nonperishable donations to be given out up to 18 months past the “best buy” date.
- As the “best buy” date nears, the Cougar Cupboard will have a tabling event and give away as much of this as we can. Once 18 months past the “best buy” passes, the items must be thrown out.
- If it is determined that we have too many of a particular item, we will hold a tabling event, or give the food to one of the many local pantries.
- If you wouldn’t eat it, our customers probably won’t either.
- We cannot accept dented cans, or torn packages
- We cannot accept items without a “best by” date.
- Please do not donate items that are past their “best by” or expiration date.
Shiloh Pullen, Resource Navigator, is the point of contact for food/hygiene/school supply drives, and will know what items are most needed, if any: SLCD@iu.edu Office - 765-455-9353
Thank you! You can make your donation here.
- Most needed items change often.
- If a student group, or faculty or staff work-group is interested in holding a drive for donations, they should contact the Resource Navigator. They are the point of contact for food drives, and can will know what items are most in need if any.