Committee on Food Insecurity
Committee Guide Addendum
The Food Pantry is currently located in the Administration Building, Room A-119.
The Work of the Committee
The success of the Committee in carrying out its charges depends upon its capacity to respond quickly to new or changing circumstances, information, and/or opportunities. Communication, collaboration, and flexibility are key to its operation as many of the actions of Committee members and volunteers are determined as circumstances arise, most often in between official meetings of the Committee. The scope of the Committee’s work is greatly increased by working in partnership with the Administration through its liaisons and by collaborating with other individuals and organizations.
The work of the Committee on Food Insecurity falls into three broad categories:
1. Pantry Operation
This is the main activity of the Committee. Generally, members of the Committee volunteer at the Pantry, although hours and access have been limited during the pandemic. Students are encouraged to contact the Committee via the food pantry email to let the Committee know when they are coming. Other details regarding the operation of the Food Pantry follow:
2. Volunteering as a committee member
Committee members volunteer to staff the pantry and also to take part in restocking, packing, and checking the expiration dates of pantry items (see guidelines below). The Department of Public Safety and the Library have generously assisted when the pantry is closed. While the Special Events Coordinator from the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Advancement orders food for the Pantry, it takes a concerted effort by those volunteering in the pantry to monitor fluctuating conditions so that the supply of food matches student needs as closely as possible.
· Food purchases are mainly funded by a Petrie Grant and the QCC Fund, and the Lucille A. Bova grant has been allotted for hygiene items every semester. Committee members should monitor all supplies and initiate specific drives as needed throughout the year.
· Being mindful of students’ privacy is key to the Pantry’s operation.
3. Food distribution and special events
These events have been conducted several times throughout the academic year by the Special Events Coordinator. During these popular events, prepacked bags of food are made available for students to pick up at the main parking lot. A distribution event held the day before Thanksgiving drew over 100 students. Another event was planned for May in advance of final exams. T
· The Committee seeks ways to provide access to the Pantry during winter and summer recesses as well as spring break (often relying on Committee members who will be on campus during these times).
· In the past when the campus was open, summer Pantry requests were low, so having open hours may not be necessary. One option may be to have occasional volunteers come in to pack bags and check expiration dates and those bags could be distributed by a safety officer or volunteer as needed.
·Students’ struggle for food security will still be a problem in the summer despite students not requesting Pantry access, so encouraging students to reach out to ARC for help can get them a gift card to buy groceries. Although this is a good option, many students are apprehensive about having to supply their name and address. Whether personally identifiable information will continue to be required remains to be explored.
Public policy-related information
Committee members try to keep abreast of relevant non-CUNY organizations, research, and initiatives, such as the Hope Center at Temple University. QCC’s participation in the Hope Center’s #Real College Research Collaboration yielded valuable information through our students’ participation in the #Real College Survey, a nationwide survey on food/housing insecurity during the pandemic. The Hope Center recently called the Committee’s attention to the formation of Basic Needs committees at other colleges and universities. Committee members may wish to join the Hope Center which has ongoing events and webinars that are useful for the Committee’s work. hope4college.com
Coordination and Collaboration
The Committee works with other committees, organizations, and clubs on campus, including and not limited to service-learning faculty partners; donation partners; and other fundraising events. When additional volunteers are needed, Committee members are encouraged to reach out to their department chairs and colleagues.
A Mellon Foundation grant to CUNY will assist CUNY’s food pantries, helping them to become hubs that will connect students to resources that promote food security and link CUNY students and their families to City and State pandemic-related food programs. The Mellon Foundation program included a drive to enroll CUNY students in the national SNAP food stamp program. The grant will also train students to serve as food security advocates who can help CUNY food pantries reach more students and help connect students to a wider array of services and community-based help.
Examples of successful collaborations within QCC include:
o the FEC encouraging in-kind donations at faculty meetings.
o student clubs participating in food drives.
o supporting faculty in service-learning or food insecurity research activities (past collaborations have included faculty in health, business, education, and art).
o fundraising events promoted via the Vice-President of Communications and occasionally the Development Office.
o relying on the advice of student Committee members and student government leaders to determine the most effective means of outreach and communication to students.
o Coordinating food Pantry activities with other campus events.
o participating in CUNY’s #GivingTuesday campaign.
o working closely with the Advocacy Resource Center (ARC) enables students to access more of the resources that they need.
Looking forward to when the campus opens up again, CUNY's new food services contract with CulinArt includes a commitment to provide funding to help food-insecure students.
The Committee’s Administration Liaisons are the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Director of the Advocacy Resource Center (ARC) which provides services for students who need more help than the food pantry can provide.
Advocacy Resource Center (ARC)
Guidelines for all volunteers at the Lucille A. Bova Food Pantry:
Dear Volunteers,
Thank you so much for your anticipated time in the QCC food pantry and for helping our students who are food insecure. Food insecurity remains a major issue and hope the QCC pantry serves as a vehicle for students in need. The key findings in the most recent executive summary, Healthy CUNY and the Hope Center for College Community and Justice indicate:
- CUNY students suffer from substantial levels of food insecurity.
- Food insecurity interferes with academic achievement and completion
file:///C:/Users/LCupelli/OneDrive%20-%20CUNY/committees%20minutes%20-%20various/food%20insecurity/CUNY-UFPI_food-security-exec-summary_v05_Final.pdf
As reported by the committee’s previous chairperson, Ashlie Klepper, last year we had over a thousand visitors, so your help is needed and appreciated. We understand there may be an occasional shift you cannot make and if that is the case, your best course of action is to contact the person who has the shift before you so they can place a note on the door to alert students. If you have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to email (lcupelli@qcc.cuny.edu)
Please read below for general instructions and policies for the food pantry
Pantry Access
Unfortunately, we do not have a key card door and the administration limits the number of keys we have, so if you ever have a shift and the doors are locked, you can call public safety to come open A-119. They are very quick to respond and open the door. Once in the pantry, here is typically how you would spend your volunteer hours:
Greeting and Helping Pantry Visitors
Step 1: Ask to see a campus ID card. Students and staff are welcome in the pantry.
Step 2: Note the number of visitors and the date in the pantry tracking notebook on the desk.
Step 3: If needed, provide the visitor with a reusable bag (these are typically found in containers by the desk.). Please encourage visitors to bring back the bag and reuse it for future visits and if they do, they will get an extra item the next time they visit. Also, a maximum of 2 of the same items can be taken by an attendee unless supplies are extremely low. It is preferable that one of each of the single hygiene items is taken due to having a limited supply per semester.
Step 4: Instruct the visitor that they can take up to 10 items.
Checking for Expired Foods
Although most items in the pantry have an extended shelf time, occasionally there will be expired food that we need to dispose of. If any expired food is found, please remove it from the shelves and place it on the front desk.
Organizing and Stocking the Shelves
Please feel free to stock the shelves if there are boxes to unpack. Along with stocking the shelves, keeping them looking neat and tidy is also a helpful thing to do with your pantry hour.
Packing Bags for Library Pick Ups/Future Drives
Prepacked bags are always available behind the reference desk at the library so having those ready to bring over when the library runs out is important. You can use your pantry hour to pre-pack some bags containing 10 items. After being filled, bags can be stored in the drawers in the back of the room. Each bag usually consists of:
- Box of Pasta
- Jar/Can of Sauce
- Package of rice/quinoa/grain of sort
- Can of Beans
- Can of Vegetables
- Can of Soup
- Peanut Butter and Jelly if in stock
- Carton of Milk
- Can of Protein (chicken, tuna, etc.)
- Cereal or Oatmeal
*** Can substitute any one specialty item for one item above.
Food Donations
Food donations are accepted but need to be non-perishable, unopened, and not expired. Items such as shelf-stable milk, items to eat on the go such as granola, and hygiene items are supplies that diminish quickly and can be recommended for donations.
Student Volunteers
Students who choose to volunteer in the pantry on a regular basis can accompany a regularly scheduled QCC staff member during their pantry volunteer hours. Please take the student’s name, email, and hour availability and send information to the chair/food committee member to coordinate student volunteer hours.
Volunteer Hours
QCC staff and students volunteering at the food pantry are limited to one hour for regularly scheduled weekly food pantry attendance. Emails will be sent for additional volunteering at special events.
