A community college sponsored by Niagara County
January 21, 2020
Food insecurity has been targeted as an issue that affects nearly half of all college students and can be a barrier to academic success and even affect graduation outcomes. A food pantry was established at SUNY Niagara in the fall of 2016 to address the growing needs of the student population, and the initiative continues to expand.
In the spring of 2019, Student Life and the SUNY Niagara Food Pantry partnered with Eat Smart NY from the Cornell Cooperative Extension who assisted by donating shelving, recipe cards, and nutritional posters, as well as with the organization of space to maximize healthy options for students. On Thursday, January 16, the SUNY Niagara All College Meeting was held where employees brought in 164 donations of food and hygiene items to restock the pantry before the spring semester started on January 21. The pantry is reliant on individual donations and currently has no corporate sponsor or support from outside organizations to supply items for students in need, so these donation drives are crucial to keeping the shelves stocked.
Right now the pantry provides roughly 500 items per semester to students, with cereal and breakfast items being most popular. As far as goals for the future, “We would like to eventually get cold storage for basic needs like milk and butter and increase the stock of personal items such as shampoo, soap and feminine hygiene supplies,” says Molly Cole, Technical Assistant in Student Life.
For more information on the SUNY Niagara Food Pantry, contact Molly Cole at 716-614-6263 or by email at mcole@niagaracc.suny.edu
