Communities are held together by those who put forth effort to helping the people around them have a better day than yesterday or establishing relationships that last generations.
Stop & Shop has partnered with Connecticut State Colleges and Universities to bring meals and opportunities to those facing food insecurity during an event hosted by CCSU on Oct. 21.
With a donation of $200,000 to the CSCU system, the Regional Retail Communications Leader of Stop & Shop Stephanie Cunha said the initiative is crucial to empowering students.
“You can’t focus on doing good in your classes if you’re focused on being hungry,” she said. “During a super stressful week like midterms, we don’t want students to worry about where their next meal is coming from. Through these programs, we’re serving hope to students who are working hard to make a better future for themselves and their families.”
In her address, Cunha brought up statistics pertaining to food insecurities, particularly in the CSCU ecosystem.
“The statistics around students with hunger are staggering. 27% of students here at Central reported skipping a whole day of meals because they couldn’t afford meals. An entire day of meals,” she said, “A spring 2024 survey found that 28.1% of college students have eaten less due to not having money.”
Stop & Shop serves more than 270 schools from pre-K through college across five states, and donated not only the large sum of money, but also 1,000 care packages for each of the four CSCU universities.
Besides donations and statistics, President Zulma Toro informed the administrators and general managers in attendance about the history of Maria’s Place pantry, and the significant impact it’s had on CCSU students.
“I would like to share the story behind our community food pantry Maria’s Place. This is a very special place named after Maria Alvarez, who was a cherished colleague who worked at the university for over 30 years,” she said. “Her deep commitment to students and helping those in need has resulted in a beautiful program that honors her public service. This year marks 10 years since Maria Passed away… we are honoring her support and the pantry’s mission.”
CSCU Interim Chancellor Dr. John Maduko said this collaboration is for the students to reap the benefits.
“This partnership with Stop & Shop is significant, it’s huge, it’s a game changer, because it allows us to fulfill our mission,” he said. “We are a student-centered system of institutions where our students and their success and their learning is at the core of everything we do.
Maduko added that mitigating a large stressor for the students is the goal of the initiative.
“When we think about students that are either from underserved communities, or [are] parents, military, or individuals with disabilities, things compound,” he said. “Whether it be the price of going to college, the price of transportation, housing, you name it. Being able to take care of food insecurity really addresses the overall wellness of our students.”
Cunha said students have the opportunity to change for the better.
“Let’s work together to make sure no student goes to school hungry,” she said.
