As college students throughout New York Metropolis return to in-person courses, Amazon is donating $100,000 value of meals to a local people school’s on-campus meals pantry that helps hundreds of scholars annually. Amazon can also be donating an industrial fridge to assist the pantry hold extra recent meals readily available.
The Borough of Manhattan Neighborhood Faculty (BMCC) runs the Panther Pantry, which provides nutritionally balanced meals for college kids going through a meals emergency. Amazon’s donations embody in style ready gadgets from Amazon Recent and Amazon Go, together with hen caesar wraps and salads, egg salad sandwiches, and hen Banh Mi sandwiches from Amazon Kitchen. The donated industrial fridge can even assist BMCC inventory extra in-demand chilly merchandise like yogurt, fruit and veggies, and lean proteins.
“Meals insecurity is actual. I see it on daily basis on campus. BMCC college students are typically uncomfortable asking for assist once they come to us on the Panther Pantry, however we be sure they know we’re on their aspect,” stated Deborah Harte, director of the BMCC’s Advocacy and Useful resource Middle, which runs the meals pantry.
“The battle to stability grocery, transportation, and housing bills in New York Metropolis will be robust, even for college kids who work, and no scholar ought to have to decide on between paying for groceries and hire. I’m excited that Amazon Go and Amazon Recent have joined BMCC in working to cease scholar starvation,” Harte stated. “Our college students work exhausting, and by eradicating meals insecurity, we will help them be their greatest.”
In keeping with Feeding America, meals pantries inside faculties assist alleviate scholar starvation as a result of they supply a protected, simply accessible, and discreet supply of meals for college kids and their households. College-based meals banks additionally take away the necessity for an additional journey to a different location to entry a meals financial institution for households or college students struggling to maintain up with excessive demand and excessive costs.
“Once we take into consideration what our larger schooling college students require to thrive, we can’t overlook the essential necessities,” stated New York Metropolis Council Member Eric Dinowitz, chair of the Committee on Larger Training. “CUNY faculties all through our metropolis provide important meals pantry providers to college students in want, however there’s all the time extra that may be performed. I wish to lengthen my appreciation to Amazon for donating $100,000 in meals gadgets to the Borough of Manhattan Neighborhood Faculty, an exquisite establishment that educates tens of hundreds of scholars in our metropolis. I can’t understate how vital recent, wholesome meals is for New Yorkers, particularly our college students. This donation will assist many, and I sit up for continued collaboration with our non-public companions.”
BMCC has operated the Panther Pantry since 2018, however the COVID-19 pandemic has exasperated meals insecurity and had a disproportionate influence on lower-income neighborhoods, together with these which can be residence to most BMCC college students. From July 2021 by way of June 2022, over 4,000 baggage of meals have been distributed to about 1,800 college students.
The pantry supplies dry and canned items, gluten-free meals, milk choices, low- or sugar-free gadgets, and frozen meals similar to floor beef, halal poultry, kosher fish, and veggie burgers. The Panther Pantry additionally supplies ready-to-eat snacks and small meals for college kids on the go or residing within the shelter system, and lots of college students are eligible for grocery store present playing cards. The Panther Pantry additionally helps college students full functions for the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program, or SNAP.
“Amazon’s donation will strengthen the nice work BMCC is already doing inside their strong on-campus meals pantry,” stated Ayesha Harper, director of Amazon Comfort, which incorporates Amazon Go shops and Amazon Kitchen meals choices. “Our ready grab-and-go meals gadgets and large number of extra merchandise will assist BMCC add much more choices to their pantry in order that college students in want have entry to meals they need and luxuriate in.”
There are at the moment 10 Amazon Go shops in New York Metropolis, every providing a spread of grab-and-go meals, drinks, and on a regular basis necessities at a fantastic worth. The shops don’t have any traces and no checkout because of Amazon’s Simply Stroll Out know-how. Amazon Fresh, which opened its first New York retailer in Oceanside in July 2022, is a grocery retailer designed to supply a seamless purchasing expertise, whether or not clients are purchasing in retailer or on-line.
Amazon is dedicated to combating meals insecurity within the communities it calls residence, and the corporate has donated tens of hundreds of meals from throughout its Amazon Recent and Amazon Go operations within the New York area. Amazon additionally helps organizations like Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, the biggest soup kitchen and pantry program in New York Metropolis, and St. John’s Bread and Life, which runs a free cellular soup kitchen in Brooklyn and Queens.
Amazon and BMCC additionally work collectively as a part of Career Choice, Amazon’s pay as you go tuition program for operations workers trying to additional their schooling.
For extra data on the best way to take part and assist BMCC, contact the Workplace for Institutional Development at advancement@bmcc.cuny.edu.
