Micro-Grants to Combat Food Insecurity

CUNY SPS Offers Grocery Micro-Grants to Combat Food Insecurity

“We are extremely grateful to the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation and the Student Association for their generous donations...”

--Jennifer Grace Lee Associate Dean for Enrollment Management and Student Services

In an effort to help students experiencing food insecurity, CUNY SPS launched a virtual food access initiative in Spring 2021. This program, developed with donations from the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation and the CUNY SPS Student Association, provides all eligible students with $50 micro-grants that they may use to purchase groceries. “With the pandemic, we know that many students are struggling even more with food insecurity, and CUNY SPS eagerly wants to help,” said Jennifer Grace Lee, associate dean for enrollment management and student services. “We are extremely grateful to the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation and the Student Association for their generous donations, which have enabled us to set up this food assistance program. We encourage all students who may be in need to reach out and apply for these micro-grants.” As the skyrocketing number of CUNY SPS emergency grant applications over the last year reveals, the COVID-19 crisis and the resulting economic depression are having a devastating effect on students. Funded with generous grants of $15,000 from the Petrie Foundation and $56,000 from the Student Association, the virtual food access initiative seeks to lessen some of the burden students may be experiencing by offering them grocery vouchers that can be spent online on their own time and convenience. “Food insecurity is an issue that has always plagued us, and the pandemic has only exacerbated the issue. The Student Association is proud to be able to be a part of easing the pain of food insecurity for our CUNY SPS family,” said Shakima Williams-Jones, co-chair of the Student Association during the 2020-21 academic year. “We were heartbroken to hear that so many of our students were facing food insecurity and we hope that this virtual food pantry will be a positive part of the solution.” The CUNY SPS virtual food access initiative is being managed by the School’s Office of Scholarships, which runs all the scholarship, debt forgiveness, and emergency grant programs. To participate, students are encouraged to register for the service through the School’s online scholarship management system. All degree and certificate students enrolled in the current semester will be eligible for the $50 micro-grants. Initial grants to students will be distributed as an e-grocery card. Students may request additional micro-grants every 30 days as long as they are enrolled in the current semester and provide proof of grocery purchase from a previous disbursement. Subsequent food assistance grants will be disbursed through CUNYfirst.