Amendola Family Student Cupboard celebrates 10th anniversary; honors late donor

The Fresno State community gathered on Nov. 20 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Amendola Family Student Cupboard, which provides free food and hygiene items to Fresno State students. Since its inception in 2014, the Amendola Family Student Cupboard has been visited nearly 500,000 times, serving almost 30,000 students and their families.

Logan Mouawangyee, a credential student, 2024 Dean’s Medalist and student employee at the Amendola Family Student Cupboard, spoke of the impact the cupboard had on his life, saying, “I always knew I could stop by if I didn’t have lunch or other food, and my experience is not unique. I am one of many.”

According to a campus survey, over 43% of Fresno State students experience food insecurity.

A plaque was unveiled during the anniversary celebration, dedicated to the late Ermelinda Treviño by her nephew, Michael Treviño. The Treviño family’s philanthropic partnership was instrumental in the establishment of the Amendola Family Student Cupboard.

Michael Treviño recalled the impact his “cool aunt, Tia Linda,” had on his life, noting that the pair was closely bonded from the time he was a baby and Ermelinda helped to care for him. As he grew up, she became someone he deeply loved and admired.

“After I was born, she moved [from Bakersfield, closer to my family], in San Francisco. I would visit her, and we would go to libraries, art galleries,” Michael Treviño said. “She talked to me about life and things. She traveled and was a big proponent of being educated. She took such an interest in me and my sisters, and wanted me to open up my world view.”

Ermelinda Treviño’s influence was enough to push Michael to pursue higher education after he’d already entered the workforce full-time. He then landed a job with IBM in Silicon Valley.

Michael Treviño said, “I remember visiting Tia Linda and her asking me what I was up to. I was telling her all about my job and she said, ‘It’s great you have a job that has a good salary and good benefits, but I always thought you’d do something more with your life. Throughout your life you’ve been someone who likes helping people. I thought you would have an impact on peoples’ lives.’

“I always knew that it came from love. Sometimes it takes someone else telling you things about your life that you don’t recognize. It was a huge spark.”

With a new sense of urgency, Michael Treviño completed his studies at a local community college and then transferred to University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. Both his parents and Tia Linda accompanied him on stage during his graduation ceremony.

It was at UC Berkeley that Michael met former Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro, who oversaw the creation of the Amendola Family Student Cupboard.

“He told me about the [Student] Cupboard that was just opening up and what an impact it had made, with students lining up to get food before finals. These students come from the same background as my family. Their families are like my family,” Michael Treviño said.

“I told Tia Linda about it, and we talked about what we could do and this is where our endowment came from. The idea was to inspire others and raise money for the [Student] Cupboard.”

In 2015, the Treviño family established a $25,000 annual gift annuity to support the Amendola Family Student Cupboard. The family made another generous gift as part of the March Match Up campaign in 2017, pledging an additional $32,000 to the Amendola Family Student Cupboard.

Michael Treviño, who recently retired from his position as director of undergraduate admissions at the University of California, said, “The Student Cupboard has been a leader throughout the state, if not the country. Students are doing all the right things — getting the grades, putting in the work to better their lives — and we’re investing in them and their families. I’m super proud of the work we do at Fresno State.”

The cupboard has seen an increase in community support throughout the years, notably with the $1.5 million endowment established by Lou and Jane Amendola in 2021. In recognition of their gift, the Student Cupboard was renamed the Amendola Family Student Cupboard.

The Amendola Family Student Cupboard has grown significantly since its launch in 2014:

• Creating the CSU’s first diaper distribution program (now housed in the university’s Student Health and Counseling Center), which has supported over 10,000 families since 2019.zzzzzz
  
• Starting a recycling program that has raised money to be reinvested into the university’s Center for Essential Needs.
  
• Partnering with the California Climate Corps to build a garden that helps provide produce to students, as well as partnering with the Asian Business Institute Resource Center to provide students with produce from local farmers.
  
• Partnering with the California Climate Corps and El Dorado Park Community Development Corporation to increase sustainability efforts.
  
• Assisting almost 6,000 students with CalFresh applications since 2018.
  
•  Partnering with Fresno Unified School District Adult Learning, Fresno State TARGET and Fresno State Wayfinders to provide employment opportunities to students with disabilities.

In recognition of its accomplishments, the Amendola Family Student Cupboard was honored with a proclamation from the City of Fresno and a certificate from Fresno County during the 10th anniversary celebration.

Mouawangyee said, “When I first started working here in 2019, everyone was talking about the stigma of food insecurity. Over time, we’ve been able to help get rid of this stigma and have a proud community that we’ve built here. I’m proud to have been served by the Cupboard and to be able to serve other students at the Cupboard.”

All enrolled Fresno State students are eligible to use the Amendola Family Student Cupboard, and may visit once a day, Monday through Friday.

The Amendola Family Student Cupboard offers a variety of perishable and non-perishable items, including fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, juice, milk and frozen meals.

The Amendola Family Student Cupboard is open year-round, only closing during certain holidays. For more information about the Amendola Family Student Cupboard, visit https://studentaffairs.fresnostate.edu/foodsecurity/student-cupboard.html.

To donate to the Amendola Family Student Cupboard, contact David Hembree at 559.278.5052 or dhembree@csufresno.edu, or visit https://studentaffairs.fresnostate.edu/development/waystogive.html.