Cardinal Experience: Henny Ransdell on Food Recovery & Cardinal Cupboard

For UofL student, helping others ‘makes her heart sing’

 

Henny Ransdell
Henny Ransdell

After noticing some UofL students struggling to make ends meet, UofL student Henny Ransdell came up with the idea for an on-campus food pantry. Ransdell co-founded the Cardinal Cupboard, a new sustainability initiative where students can receive free food and goods, no questions asked.

At the Cardinal Cupboard, volunteers keep track of how many pounds of food are taken. Within the first month of operation, 650 pounds of food, equaling about 670 meals, were taken. 

For Ransdell, seeing students comfortably taking the food is the most rewarding part of the pantry.

“Being able just to see students being brave enough to come into a space that’s kind of unfamiliar and maybe uncomfortable at first to accept food as a gift … it makes my heart sing,” said Ransdell.

Check out her story below:

Henny Ransdell is a superstar of sustainability and caring on UofL's campus. Ransdell collects unused food from UofL restaurants and donates it to Louisville shelters while also starting a food pantry for her fellow students.

Sources:
For UofL student, helping others ‘makes her heart sing’ (UofL News, July 17, 2019)
Cardinal Experience: Henny Ransdell on Food Recovery & Cardinal Cupboard (WHAS-TV Great Day Live, July 15, 2019)