Annual Report of the Committee on Committee on Food Insecurity Annual Report for 2022-2023
To: Steering Committee, Academic Senate
From: Chair, Committee on Food Insecurity
Date: September 11th 2023
Membership/officers
Cornick, Jonathan, Dr. (Mathematics and Computer Science)
Cupelli, Lorraine, Professor (Nursing)
Danzi-Engoron, Sara, Professor (Biological Sciences and Geology)
DiGiorgio, Elizabeth, Professor (Art and Design)
Gmuca, Angela, Ms. (Faculty and Staff; Secretary)
Klepper, Ashlie, Professor (CTMP; Chair)
McClam, Nicole, Professor (Health, Physical Education, and Dance)
Sosnovski, Bianca, Professor (Mathematics)
Tai, Emily, Dr. (History)
Liaisons
Gonesh, Amawati, Ms., Director of Queensborough’s Advocacy Resource Center;
Mitra, Brian, Dr. Vice President of Student Affairs and Presidential Designee
Weprin, Ronni, Ms. (Special Events Coordinator and Presidential Designee
Committee Meeting Dates
Narrative summary of committee work
- Administration of Pantry Hours, 2022-2023 academic year:
The pantry held regular hours during the fall and spring semester. In the fall semester the pantry was open a record breaking number of hours:
Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m to 10 a.m and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
In the spring semester the pantry was open:
Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. & 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1:00 p.m to 2 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m to 1 p.m and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
*In the fall of 2022 semester, the pantry served 1076 students. In the spring of 2023, the pantry served 1030. In the summer of 2023, the pantry served 106 students. In total, we had 2,212 visitors.
The committee would like to thank the following non-committee faculty volunteers for enabling us to do this: Dr. Patrick Byers (Social Sciences) Vikki Terrile (Library), Neera Mohess (Library), Barbara Frary (Business), Philip Nelan (Nursing), Manuel Martinez (English), Madiha Shameem (English), Leah Anderst (English), Howard Sporn (Mathematics and Computer Science) and Wendy Ford (Business)
- Food Distribution Events
The college hosted several successful food events during the year where students could pick up pre-packed bags in front of the Administration building. These were orchestrated by Ms. Ronni Weprin from the Office of Institutional Advancement.- Thanksgiving Drive (Tuesday November 22nd, 2022)
- Served 300 students
- Speciality items were given out such as frozen turkeys, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, root vegetables, etc.
- Finals Week Drive (Monday May 15th, 2022)
- Served 200 students
- Speciality items were given out such as loafs of bread, nuts, fruit and vegetables.
- Thanksgiving Drive (Tuesday November 22nd, 2022)
- Students who needed more help than the pantry could provide were referred to the Advocacy Resource Center (formerly Single Stop) directed by Ms. Amawati Gonesh. Amawati and Ronni coordinated gift cards for students to use as well.
- The committee offers sincere thanks to departing members Dr. Jonathan Cornick and Nicole McClam for their extensive and amazing work on the committee and with the food pantry.
Recommendations for Next Academic Year
- To the extent that the current model of a faculty/administrative partnership may continue, it is recommended that any service to the pantry---whether in the form of donated time (Pantry hours) or donations in kind (Pantry supplies) be noted either as college service or in Committee reports to the Academic Senate, out of respect to faculty and staff members who make these donations, and in the same spirit that financial contributions to the Queensborough Community Fund receive acknowledgment for tax purposes
- The Committee should continue to explore ways to further promote the Queensborough Food Pantry and promulgate resources for food and housing-insecure students.
- The Committee should continue to work with Student organizations and clubs to promote Food drives that can re-stock/unpack for the pantry, and should continue to partner with administration in exploring grant and fund-raising opportunities that might yield scaled-up pantry stocking and/or food purchase support for students off-campus.
- Continue to support and promote campus sponsored food drives
- Continue to have 1 major food distribution event a semester (thanksgiving in the fall and one in the spring)
- Continue to work closely with the Advocacy Resource Center (ARC) to provide assistance for students who need more help than the food pantry alone can provide.
- Develop a monthly recipe contest for students to help increase student engagement and pantry awareness.
New Committee Members – newly elected Chair and Secretary
Cupelli, Lorraine, Professor (Nursing, Chair)
DiGiorgio, Elizabeth, Professor (Art and Design)
Gmuca, Angela, Ms. (Faculty and Staff)
Klepper, Ashlie, Professor (CTMP)
Nelan, Philip, Professor (Nursing)
Weier Ye, Professor ( English)
Tai, Emily, Dr. (History)
Danzi, Sara, Dr. (Biological and Geological Sciences, Secretary)
Sosnovski, Bianca, Dr. (Mathematics and Computer Science)
Acknowledgments
- President Christine Mangino for all her support
- Dr. Call for her donation and continued support
- Ridgewood Savings Bank for their generous donation in the fall
- HAB bank for their generous donation
- Stop & Shop for their generous financial donation as well as donation of non-perishables
- GrubHub for their generous donation to our thanksgiving food distribution
- Amiel Singer, '71 for his generous donation for our spring distribution
- The Petrie fund which provides a generous grant to stock the pantry
- The NYC Council for their donations to food pantries and low-income CUNY students
- The Queens Borough President's Office for their generous turkey donations for our thanksgiving drive
- Student Volunteers: We are grateful to Dr. Emily Tai and Queensborough's Lambda Sigma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa students for their hard work volunteering at the pantry and at events this semester. Eternal gratitude to: David Adekoya, Vanessa Aurelia, Aisha Frampton-Clark, Oanh Lam, Charles Hedlund, Vladislav Molchanov, Rehanna Seepersaad, Jeremiah Torres, Loreta Xenakis
- Non Committee Member Pantry Volunteers: We are grateful for all those not on our committee who worked hours at the pantry and helped us run pantry hours. Eternal gratitude to: Dr. Patrick Byers (Social Sciences) Vikki Terrile (Library), Neera Mohess (Library), Barbara Frary (Business), Philip Nelan (Nursing), Manuel Martinez (English), Madiha Shameem (English), Leah Anderst (English), Howard Sporn (Mathematics and Computer Science) and Wendy Ford (Business)
- Food Distribution Event Help: We are grateful for all those not on our committee who helped to prepare the bags for the distribution event as well as with distribution: Magedelin Abreu (Buildings and Grounds) and Susan Fung (Creative Services), Tony Gamino (Creative Services), Angelica May (Creative Services), Emily El Halouani (Institutional Advancement), Alice Doyle, Charles Petz, Saji Sheerazi, Mary Jones, James Geasor, Chad Westney and Dylan LaRoche
Respectfully Submitted,
Ashlie Klepper, Outgoing Chair
