In a decisive move to tackle the escalating food insecurity among college students, Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a substantial injection of $550,000 in emergency funds for the State University of New York (SUNY) community college food pantries. The initiative, an immediate response to the extended federal government shutdown's consequences, is set to support the most vulnerable student populations across 30 SUNY community college campuses.
“As the consequences of the longest federal government shutdown in history drag on, millions of New Yorkers are struggling to make ends meet and facing a food insecurity crisis," Governor Hochul said on Governor’s Press Office. Responding to the crisis, the Governor's administration is pulling out all the stops to ensure that students get the sustenance they critically need. Among the various measures, Hochul's office has directed service corps members to hone in on combating hunger and declared a state of emergency to bolster these efforts.
The urgency of this scenario is underscored by Hochul's allocation and acceleration of over $106 million addressing the hunger epidemic sweeping across the state. This funding encompasses a diverse range of initiatives focused on feeding New Yorkers, including $40 million for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program and $25 million for Nourish NY, which redirects surplus agricultural goods to food relief organizations, according to a statement obtained by the Governor’s Press Office website.
In his acknowledgment of the Governor's decisive action, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. expressed gratitude, “SUNY thanks Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to helping New Yorkers address the hunger crisis facing our state," he said on Governor’s Press Office. The emergency funds come as part of SUNY's broader initiatives which include the deployment of the SUNY Empire State Service Corps to local food banks, establishing a Day of Hunger Action, along with long-term financial commitments to combat student food insecurity on all state-operated campuses.
The SUNY Board of Trustees echoed the sentiment, highlighting the importance of such an investment: “We have community colleges spread throughout New York State, and these engines of upward mobility recognize that meeting students’ basic needs is essential to student success," the Board said in a Governor’s Press Office statement.
