CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and Macaulay Students Council President Shania Persaud open the meals pantry.
Photograph courtesy of CUNY.
The Metropolis College of New York launched the primary Mountain Lion Meals Pantry at Macaulay Honors Faculty to deal with meals insecurity amongst school college students.
This meals pantry, which is a part of a community of over 20 meals pantries throughout CUNY campuses, goals to offer college students with important meals and provides without charge.
College students received’t must skip meals due to the humanitarian efforts of the Ladies at Amazon, an employee-led affinity group of ladies and non-binary staff at Amazon and Amazon Net Companies.
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, chancellor of CUNY, and Dara N. Byrne, Macaulay Honors Faculty dean, celebrated with a gap ceremony on Jan. 31.
“CUNY is always working to tear down any roadblocks that may prevent a student from focusing on their success,” Chancellor Matos Rodríguez mentioned. “While we would love to be in a world where there would be no need for a food pantry, we know how impactful these spaces can be in addressing a breadth of needs a student may have.”
In line with Dean Byrne, the pantry is about extra than simply providing meals to college students.
“We opened the Mountain Lion Food Pantry not just to provide food, but to offer dignity, support, and a reminder that no one here is alone,” Byrna mentioned. “This pantry is more than just a resource; it is a promise. A promise that no student should have to choose between coming to Macaulay and buying a meal. A promise that within our college community, we take care of one another.”
In line with a 2022 survey performed by CUNY’s Wholesome CUNY initiative, roughly 40% of CUNY college students—about 110,000 people—reported having “low” or “very low” meals safety, underscoring the essential want for sources just like the Mountain Lion Meals Pantry.
Any CUNY scholar, no matter the place they attend school, can go to any of the meals pantries throughout the college system to entry meals.
Shania Persaud, president of the Macaulay Students Council and a senior at Baruch Faculty, mentioned meals insecurity is a widespread subject at CUNY, making this a well timed program.
“I remember when I spoke to students last year after a career fair, where some had traveled from the other boroughs, and I could not direct them to food in the building. I love that now I can tell them, ‘Hey, come downstairs, there’s so much food,’” Persaud mentioned.
The pantry gives a spread of things, together with non-perishable meals, cooking substances, well being and wellness provides, pet provides, and home items; they function on CUNY campuses function year-round, together with throughout the summer season.
The Mountain Lion Meals Pantry is open throughout common constructing hours, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, and from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends.
College students can discover extra particulars about CUNY and its initiatives on-line at cuny.edu.
