By Eleanor Ferguson
On Tuesday, Jan. 30, Makiyah Maze and Pooja Gadireddy volunteered at the Cardinal Cupboard today so their fellow volunteers and students could celebrate something special—with bounce houses—in the SAC.
It was the Cardinal Cupboard’s fifth anniversary. It’s fed over 21,000 patrons in that time. Maze and Gadireddy are two of many student volunteers who work in shifts of one or two hours each week.
Maze has volunteered at the Cardinal Cupboard since last semester. They stated they volunteered because they wanted to give back to the community and help those facing food insecurity.
Meanwhile, in the SAC multipurpose room, two massive bounce houses had been erected flanked by two cornhole matches, a cotton candy machine, and a tall game of Jenga. One of the bounce houses was a person-sized game of Hungry Hungry Hippos. Students attached themselves to a cord attached to the outside wall and fought to jump forward fast enough to get into the middle and retrieve the coveted plastic balls.
The festivities were punctuated with raffle giveaways of prizes, including an air fryer. Several volunteers helped hand out free popcorn and cupcakes. Five students who worked in paid positions worked to organize the event.
According to Faith Fisher, a graduate intern and member of the Cardinal Cupboard team, the Cupboard was founded on January 30, 2019.
Students can find free food in the Cardinal Cupboard in the Swain Student Activities Center, W312 open from 9 am to 6 pm.
File Photos // Eleanor Ferguson, The Louisville Cardinal
