SUNY Canton receives State Funding to support Food Pantry & Mental Health

CANTON, N.Y. (WWTI) – The State University of New York’s recent round of funding is helping SUNY Canton combat food insecurity and address the mental health of students.

SUNY Canton has received $33,400 for its Renzi Food Pantry and $250,000 for mental health support through SUNY’s Transformation Fund . The funds were immediately put to good use, according to Melinda Miller, the college’s director of counseling. Miller said that the two initiatives work in together to assist students who are struggling.

“If you’re not sleeping and eating properly, your mental health isn’t going to be doing very well for one second ,” Miller said. “ We try to do everything we can to remove any barriers that students may have when they come to college .”

The funding helped staff restock and expand the food pantry, which normally operates on donations given to the Student Emergency Fund, overseen by the Canton College Foundation. According to Miller, they will be:

• Purchasing new shelving;
• Implementing an inventory control system with barcode scanners; and
• Hiring additional student staffing.

“ We’re currently working on an application for the Central New York Food Bank of America ,” Miller said. “ Once we become a member, we can purchase food, and they could deliver it right here on campus once a month, which would allow us to do more community outreach .”

Miller explains that high grocery prices have driven up needs as she assembled a two-bag order for someone that would have cost more than $100 in stores. The college gave away 565 bags in the Fall and 140 bags in the Spring semester, containing:

• Food;
• Personal care products; and
• Other supplies people might not be able to afford.

The college also receives produce from Riverview Correctional Facility’s Horticulture Program , which is popular among the entire campus community. The Renzi Food Pantry also has a supply of coats, hats and gloves for students.

The $250,000 came in line with SUNY’s overall expansion to support mental health programs across all SUNY colleges. It will allow SUNY Canton to add a new employee and implement software to aid in early identification, case management and support of students with mental health concerns. It will also support new equipment, professional training for campus staff and on-campus mental health programming.

“ We are deeply appreciative of the financial commitment SUNY has made for our mental health services and food pantry, as these are growing needs that affect students’ ability to be successful ,” said Courtney B. Bish, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “ Through the funding, we can provide resource-rich training, access to support for students and grow the offerings in our Renzi Food Pantry. These are all invaluable to students and truly set them on a path toward success .”

Additional information on all things SUNY Canton is available on the college’s website .

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