Medgar Evers College launches food pantry for students in need
BROOKLYN, New York -- Food insecurity is an issue that affects many students across university and college campuses.
Rising costs is one of many factors that continue to hamper students, with an estimated 40 percent unsure of where their next meal will come from.
As a result of these challenges, students at Brooklyn's Medgar Evers College banded together to start an on-campus food pantry so that some of their fellow students can have one less thing to worry about.
"One day we got word that some students were homeless and we wanted to do something about it," said Dr. Waleek Boone, who launched the Transition Academy to help students with homelessness, which in turn launched the Cougar Country Food Pantry. "I understand what it means to be food insecure."
In addition to serving more than 100 students, the campus pantry also partners with Food Bank For New York City to ensure there's enough food to go around.
For fellow student Taylor Bell, who doesn't just volunteer with the food pantry, but also benefits from it with her son, the initiative resonates deeply.
"The pantry has helped me because I'm going to school and shopping at the same time," said Bell, who now finds time to focus on her studies while maintaining her spot on the dean's list.
"I'm not going to lie, as a single mom not knowing where something is coming from is very stressful. But I haven't been stressed."
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