Stop & Shop Grant Supports CSCU Food Pantries

The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities will expand and create new on-campus school food pantries thanks to a $133,000 grant from Stop & Shop.

The donation is part of Stop & Shop’s School Food Pantry Program.

The initiative supports nearly 200 food pantries in schools from pre-K through college across five states.

“Many of our neighbors are dealing with food insecurity, and students cannot reach their full potential when they are hungry and don’t know when or where their next meal will come,” said Stop & Shop external communications manager Daniel Wolk.

The program offers nutritious options to thousands of students at CSCU’s 17 campuses statewide.

Stop & Shop registered dietitians will also help students with nutrition education and other resources.

“Thanks to generous supporters like Stop & Shop, we will be able to offer any student in need the nourishment they need to thrive academically,” said Central Connecticut State University president Zulma Toro.

Food Insecurity

The issue of food insecurity is a growing problem on CSCU campuses.

A 2019 survey, administered by the CSCU system found:

• 53% of students worried their food would run out before they could afford to buy more.
• 48% of students said food often or sometimes ran out when they didn’t have money to buy more.
• More than 60% often or sometimes could not afford to eat balanced meals.
• More than 20% reported not eating for a whole day because they could not afford to buy food.

Since 2019, there has been a 130% increase in CSCU students using food pantries.

“In these challenging times, the demand for food assistance has increased across the CSCU system,” said CSCU chancellor Terrence Cheng.  

“This important public-private partnership with Stop & Shop addresses the critical issue of food insecurity, a major issue on our campuses and one of the biggest non-academic barriers to student success.”