Plaza Building, Health Center closed due to a water main break.

Visit us in Tivoli 271!

Call us: (303) 615-0423

Email: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @RowdysCorner

Fall 2024 Hours

Monday 8:00am-5:00pm 
Tuesday 8:00am-5:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am-5:00pm 
Thursday 8:00am-5:00pm 
Friday 8:00am-12:00pm

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Rowdy's Corner Mission & History

Rowdy’s Corner Mission

At Rowdy’s Corner, we create a welcoming space that offers holistic resources for our community. We seek to meet the need of our community with compassion and generosity. We hold space for growth and promote autonomy. We aim to serve every student with dignity and respect. We strive to continuously accommodate our community’s changing needs. As students, we will implement sustainable practices to reduce food waste on the Auraria campus. We will create a healthy, beautiful community where no one is hungry.

Rowdy’s Corner is working to reimagine food support and destigmatize the need for assistance and to help ensure there is Food for All.

Rowdy’s Corner connects with the Student Care Center and is sponsored by Student Engagement and Wellness, the Student Advocacy Council, and the MSU Denver Community. Aligning with these added resources, on and off campus, promotes the overall wellbeing of the students and assists students on every level of need. 

Rowdy’s Corner is committed to sourcing products from local and regional businesses and providing nutritious, culturally relevant food for all of MSU Denver students.

Rowdy’s Corner strives to provide a range of food for those with dietary restrictions or allergies. Through our partnerships, we can offer students vegan, vegetarian, Halal, and Kosher options, as well as food from a multitude of cultures.

 

Rowdy’s Corner History

In the fall of 2007, a Student Government Assembly (SGA) leader, Kyle Haley, drafted a proposal to create the Metropolitan State College of Denver Food Bank.  This was due to an increased number of students on campus facing poverty and hunger issues. In general, the student population is often overlooked or ineligible to receive many traditional human services such as food assistance programs.  The need for a campus Food Bank became more evident as the economy declined. Therefore, the idea was developed to open a Food Bank on campus where students could go to receive free food items every week. At the time, there were very few colleges and universities in the country that were known to have Food Banks to serve students.  

In the beginning stages, the program was under the supervision of the SGA with some help from the Office of Student Activities. The Food Bank opened in spring of 2008 with a student coordinator distributing food and coordinating donations out of a small (4 x 6 ft) closet.  Unfortunately, the first attempt at the Food Bank was unsuccessful due to the lack of awareness on campus of its services and it soon became evident that more support was needed to start and sustain this program. Thus, the Food Bank was temporarily discontinued for restructuring. With this new knowledge, the Office of Student Life (now Student Engagement & Wellness) then took on the responsibility of restructuring the Food Bank with continued help and funding from the SGA. The Metro State Food Bank reopened in fall 2008 with two student coordinators to handle the challenges of a new program in a new location in the Tivoli Student Union. 

The MSU Denver Food Bank was renamed to the Roadrunner Food Pantry in the summer of 2018. The location was also moved to Tivoli 262, which drastically expanded the space and visibility for our students. A student from Met Media designed a window cling that now protects our student’s privacy while they shop in the pantry. In the 2018/2019 year, the Dean of Students Office allocated a small amount of money that now allows us to buy a wider variety of options for our students. In Fall 2019, the Student Care Center was created and the RRFP became a part of this central hub for student support. During the pandemic, staff had to get creative and do their best to get students food. In Spring 2021, the Roadrunner Food Pantry partnered with local organizations to expand the options and increase the quality of offerings. 

During the 2021-22 academic school year, we more than doubled the number of students that utilize our space. To continue to meet the needs of our community, in July 2022, we secured a lease to a new space. Rowdy’s Corner (formerly RRFP) opened November 29th, 2022 in Tivoli 271!

Campus, Local, and Community Resources

Mobile Food Market Events (SECORCares)

 

MSU Denver has partnered with SECORCares and ENT Credit Union to host a FREE mobile food market on campus!

The SECORCares Mobile Market will be located in the Tivoli Quad between the Tivoli and Plaza Buildings!

Spring 2025 DATES:

JANUARY

  • Thursday 30th 10:00AM – 1:00PM

FEBRUARY

  • Monday 10th 10:00AM – 1:00PM

MARCH

  • Monday 17th 10:00AM – 1:00PM

APRIL

  • Thursday 24th 10:00AM – 1:00PM

 

Case managers can assist all currently enrolled MSU Denver students who are interested in applying for food assistance programs (SNAP), or in exploring additional campus and community services. Please contact the Student Care Center to discuss your needs by calling 303-615-0006, emailing [email protected], or filing a CARE Referral so that a case manager can follow up with you. 

Additional Food Resources

Although the Roadrunner Food Pantry is eager to help every student, we recognize that we cannot meet an individual or family’s complete nutritional needs. If you are in need of food assistance beyond what is available at the Roadrunner Food Pantry, we are happy to help you with a referral through any of the following: 

Find a Food Pantry near you using: https://www.foodpantries.org/st/colorado 

Metro Caring is a local food pantry that supplies anyone in need with food resources, including fresh produce and a variety of non-perishable items. Metro Caring is centrally located at the intersection of E. 18th Avenue and Downing Street and is along two major bus routes: #12 and #20. Appointments are required. Call (303) 860-7200 to make an appointment to get assistance from Metro Caring. 

Hunger Free Colorado also offers a variety of food-related resources. In particular, their Hunger Free Hotline is a one-stop resource for food and nutrition information in Colorado. It is a multilingual resource designed to assist you in locating both public and private food assistance programs. All information is kept confidential. Call (855) 855-4626 to connect to the hotline and learn what local programs may be able to assist you. 

Food Bank of the Rockies maintains a database of Food Pantries and related food assistance programs throughout the state. Simply click on your location and find local food pantries and programs that may meet your needs. 

You can connect with 2-1-1 (web-based resources, virtual live chat, or dial 2-1-1 by phone) for additional food resources in your home county, while Hunger Free Colorado is also maintaining an updated list of local community food pantries and K-12 school-based meal programs. The Student Care Center can also help you identify the closest food pantry to your home. Visit hungerfreecolorado.org/covid-19 or call the Food Resource Hotline (855-855-4626), weekdays from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., where bilingual staff is also available to assist. 

Meet the Rowdy's Corner Team!

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Richard Miccio

Assistant Director of Educational Services, Marketing & Inclusion

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[email protected]
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Angelica Marley

Store Manager

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Alejandro Ramirez

Rowdy's Corner Shift Lead

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Jacob Marshall

Rowdy's Corner Shift Lead

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Jarelly Espinoza

Rowdy's Corner Crew Member

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Jaylynn Jones

Rowdy's Corner Shift Lead

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Jennifer Adame

Rowdy's Corner Crew Member

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Sara Vang

Rowdy's Corner Shift Lead

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Rowdy's Corner Crew Member

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Jenna Schweiger

Rowdy's Corner Crew Member

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Bridget Quarshie

Rowdy's Corner Crew Member

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About Rowdy's Corner Team

Commonly Asked Questions about Rowdy's Corner

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