Lucille A. Bova Food Pantry

Food insecurity is a heart-breaking problem

Far too many of our students who must work long hours to pay for their living expenses while attending classes. Despite their hard work these same students still face food insecurity, compounded now by the pandemic. A survey recently released by Temple University’s Hope Center for College Community and Justice found that 50% of our students worried their food would run out before they could afford more, 38% could not afford to buy balanced meals, and 39% of survey respondents at Queensborough Community College experienced low or very low levels of food security.

Students often face the challenge of choosing college or life demands.

The Advocacy Resource Center (A.R.C.) is here to connect students to social service programs and resources to overcome these obstacles. Staff members will review your household eligibility, assist with the application process, and/or refer you to additional financial resources.

How To Access The Lucille A. Bova Food Pantry

The Lucille A. Bova Food Pantry is located on the 1^st floor of the Administration building in A-119.

Map of Campus

The Lucille A. Bova Food Pantry is open to all CUNY students with an ID card.

Please note, at this time, students do not need to email the pantry to make an appointment.

Students are encouraged to bring a reusable shopping bag with them when visiting the pantry.

Students can take up to 10 individual items during each pantry visit.

Any additional questions can be sent to Foodpantry@qcc.cuny.edu

Hours of Operation

The Lucille A. Bova food pantry will be closed from Tuesday May 23th through Monday May 30th.

The pantry will reopen on Tuesday May 31 for the following limited summer hours:

Monday: 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Tuesday: 1:00pm - 2:00pm (except for June 18th)

Wednesday: 11:00am - 12:00pm

Thursday: 3:00pm - 4:00pm

*While we try our best to keep the pantry open for the hours listed above, please note that the pantry is run by faculty & staff volunteers who may on occasion have to miss their shift due to other obligations. If the pantry is closed when you visit, you can pick up a prepackaged bag behind the reference desk in the library during the library's open hours.

If this is a food emergency, please refer to the following link for a list of local food pantries: Foodbanknyc

Students are encouraged to bring a reusable shopping bag with them when visiting the pantry.
Students can take up to 10 individual items during each pantry visit.
Any additional questions can be sent to Foodpantry@qcc.cuny.edu

We are wishing all of our Pantry Patrons good food & good health this summer!

Donate to the Lucille A. Bova Food Pantry

Small gifts make a BIG impact

Your contribution will allow us to continue to provide our students with access to nutritious food which will empower them to concentrate on their studies as they work to pursue their dreams of earning a college degree.

Food insecurity is a real problem for far too many students. In fact, 40% of Queensborough students require basic needs assistance for food and housing, as well as health, technology, transportation, childcare and more. The The Lucille A. Bova Food Pantry helps provide Queensborough students with reliable access to sufficient, nutritious food. Running a campus food pantry is a big, long-term endeavor that requires careful planning and the generous support from donors like you.

"I didn't realize how difficult it would be to concentrate, hungry. I cannot begin to tell you how scared I was. I was struggling. I was shocked and amazed by the level of care and support extended to me by Queensborough. It was wonderful and I am very thankful."
- Queensborough Student

State of Food Insecurity at CUNY

"In early January, researchers at the City University of New York (CUNY*)'s Urban Food Policy Institute released preliminary findings from a survey they conducted across the public university system’s 24 campuses: Over 20 percent of CUNY undergrads—nearly 50,000 of them—were food insecure in 2018." (Leila Nargi, edible Manhattan, January 24, 2019)

Learn about the State of Food Security at CUNY in 2020 (PDF)

Learn about the State of Food Insecurity at CUNY in 2020 (PDF)

Slide 8 from the CUNY HOPE: State of Food Insecurity at CUNY in 2020 webinar

The bar chart on the top is a Percentage of CUNY Students Reporting Hunger Often or Sometimes in Last Year, Healthy CUNY 2018. The pie chart on the right is the CUNY Undergrates by Food Security Status, #RealCollege 2018 CUNY Survey Percentage (%).