Meeting the needs of a growing number of students and especially those with dietary restrictions will get easier for the Panther Food Pantry at SUNY Old Westbury thanks to a growing collaboration with Stop & Shop.
A new grant providing direct support and inclusion in a chain-wide fund-raising opportunity will help The Panther Community Care Center at SUNY Old Westbury, home to the Panther Food Pantry, expand its services to the university’s community.
The $12,500 grant will last throughout the 2025-2026 academic year and is part of the Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program. Awarded to the Pantry Fund within the Old Westbury College Foundation, the grant supports a pantry that experiences approximately 130 visits a week with more than half of those visiting bringing food home in support of themselves and their families.
“This grant gives us the opportunity to provide for, and meet the needs of, more students,” said Jennifer Goroly, one of two social workers who manage the PCCC.
Needs that will be better met through the grant include providing students with a variety of meats, halal food and foods that cater to dietary restrictions.
“As an example, gluten-free food, which can be expensive and limited, is something we are asked about regularly,” explained Social Worker Lajanee Colwin. “We are trying to create a stock for that population because we know it’s in high demand and is rarely donated.”
The grant offers the PCCC the ability to maintain and refresh stock weekly from Stop & Shop, rather than relying solely on the food donations received from the campus and community.
Another goal of the PCCC is to use the grant to provide gift cards to those facing significant difficulty in buying food. For students who may have higher needs, the PCCC will provide them with consultation services, determine solutions, and provide appropriate referrals as needed.
“We can now give them gift cards when needed,” Colwin said. “This will help our students bridge the gap when they experience a hardship in getting the food they and their families need.” The PCCC will also be participating in Stop & Shop’s Community Bag Program and Bloomin’ 4 Good Program, designed so that communities can give back locally.
Campus community members and University friends can add to the funds being awarded to PCCC by purchasing specially marked goods at a local Stop & Shop store. Through Stop & Shop’s Community Bag Program and Bloomin’ 4 Good Program, during the month of October, purchases of a $2.50 reusable Community Bag or a specially marked $11.99 Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquet at any designated Stop & Shop stores will result in a $1 donation being directed to a pool of school-based recipients.
“I hope the grant and collaboration makes our students feel seen,” said Goroly. “The recognition of food and nourishment as a basic necessity is crucial for our students’ overall success.”