Benny’s Food Pantry to Remain Open During Coronavirus
The following article was featured in the June 2020 edition of The Campus.
By Sarah Logan
On March 13th, Benny’s Food Pantry announced that it would stay open despite City College’s campus closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pantry, which is located in the NAC’s Hoffman Lounge, serves members of the campus community by providing students with necessary food resources. It intends on continuing its services for the students, staff, and Harlem community members who are in need.
Benny’s Food Pantry, created through a NYPIRG and Colin Powell School partnership, was revamped and opened to the public on October 15th, 2019. Stocked with canned and boxed foods, the pantry sought this opportunity to give back to staff and students. “The food pantry also represents an opportunity for each of us, to the extent that we are capable, to contribute to the well-being of the campus community,” Vince Boudreau, the President of City College, wrote in an update on the CCNY website.
In a 2018 survey by Healthy CUNY, an estimated 52,550 undergraduate students at CUNY community and 4-year colleges reported that they experienced 2 or more of the 4 USDA indicators of food insecurity. These include: worrying that they would run out of food before they could afford to buy more, cutting or skipping meals because of lack of money, unable to eat balanced or nutritious meals because of lack of money, or going hungry due to lack of access to food.
As the Coronavirus affects millions around the world, many are seeing the effects of decreasing food supply and the increase in food insecurity. Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed his concern during a briefing. “I fear the number is going to be around 2 million New Yorkers who are food insecure as this crisis deepens,” he said. “That’s a horrifying number.”
Benny’s Food Pantry is working hard to combat this issue. Their Facebook page urges individuals to visit the pantry if they are in need. “CCNY food pantry is open for all CUNY students and Harlem community,” they write. Appointments can be made through their Facebook Page ccny_bennys_foodpantry as they continue to stay open from Monday to Friday from 10 am to 3 pm.
Before opening again after the campus’ closure, the pantry placed an order of non-perishable items much larger than they were previously used to. This measure was to “allow as many visitors to have access to pantry goods as possible,” Dee Dee Mozeleski, the Director of Institution Advancement for the Colin Powell School, wrote in an update on the CCNY website. She urges anyone who would like to volunteer or donate non-perishable goods for the pantry to email bennysfoodpantry@ccny.cuny.edu.
Although the pandemic has caused many individuals to alter their lifestyles, Benny’s Food Pantry continues to remain functional and accessible. Thanks to the community members who volunteer their time, give back to the pantry, and keep it serviceable, members of the CCNY and Harlem community can use this valuable resource. “A food pantry should be a site for joyful exchange, where we can both give to, and take from, members of our community with an equal measure of mutual respect and trust,” Boudreau writes.
The pantry is doing just that. On the Benny’s Food Bank Facebook page, its members urge the community to “take care of yourselves and each other.”
