Governor Hochul Announces $550,000 Emergency Assistance for SUNY Community College Food Pantries to Combat Ongoing Food Insecurity Crisis

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced an emergency investment of nearly $550,000 in assistance for SUNY community college food pantries and related efforts to help campuses address the ongoing food insecurity crisis as a result of the longest federal government shutdown in United States history. The emergency assistance announced by Governor Hochul will help the food pantries located at each of SUNY's 30 community colleges restock supplies and support students in need.

"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. "My administration will continue to take action and use all of the tools and resources at our disposal to protect New Yorkers and ensure they receive the food support they need and deserve."

As the nation faces the ongoing consequences of the longest federal government shutdown in history, millions of New Yorkers are struggling to make ends meet and enduring a food insecurity crisis. Governor Hochul has taken repeated action to address this crisis, including declaring a state of emergency and directing the SUNY Empire State Service Corps members to take action and help support New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity. Governor Hochul has allocated and fast-tracked the expenditure of more than $106 million to address the hunger crisis impacting New York State, including the allocation of:

• $40 million in new funding for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides emergency food relief and nutrition services to food-insecure populations. HPNAP works in partnership with a network of about 2,700 Emergency Food Providers (EFPs), including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.
• $25 million in new funding for Nourish NY, which supplies surplus agricultural products (e.g., milk, apples, cheese, yogurt, cabbage, squash) to populations who need them through the State's network of food relief organizations (i.e., regional food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and community-based organizations that provide food for free to persons experiencing food insecurity).
• $41 million in state funds to support food banks, pantries, soup kitchens and more to provide emergency food assistance to New Yorkers.

To build on these efforts, Governor Hochul has now announced an additional nearly $550,000 in emergency state funding to support State University of New York (SUNY) community college food pantries.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, "SUNY thanks Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to helping New Yorkers address the hunger crisis facing our state. From our hundreds of Empire State Service Corps members who answered the call and stepped up to take action against food insecurity, to this investment in our community college food pantries throughout the state, SUNY is proud to support our students and all New Yorkers."

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "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. We have been proud to support every SUNY community college and their vital mission, and we are grateful to Governor Hochul for her continued investment in our campuses and in the New Yorkers who rely on them."

The nearly $550,000 food support investment announced by Governor Hochul is part of SUNY's ongoing efforts to take action against hunger and to support students struggling with food insecurity. These actions include:

• Deploying the SUNY Empire State Service Corps to support local food banks.
• Enacting a statewide Day of Hunger Action where all SUNY Empire State Service Corps students were encouraged to assist food pantries throughout the state.
• Allocating $1 million in ongoing operating expenses each year to support initiatives to address food insecurity on all State-operated campuses.
• Generating a guide to support adult students with children access to SNAP.
• Requiring, through SUNY Board of Trustee action, that information on how to access food and other basic needs resources be included at orientation and on websites for SUNY students, faculty, and staff. This includes encouraging SUNY faculty to voluntarily include basic needs statements on syllabi.
• Hosting a first-of-its-kind Basic Needs Summit, to improve access to essential resources.

About The State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY's 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country's oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit https://www.suny.edu.

Contact the Governor's Press Office