3 BRONX WEEKLY June 21, 2020 www.BXTimes.com
Councilman Andrew Cohen Photo courtesy of NYC Council
Councilman Andrew Cohen
donates $10K to Lehman
College food pantry
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Despite the challenges
of COVID-19, an elected
official’s generous donation
to a Bronx-based
college will allow the
institution to continue
providing food to its students.
On June 17, City Councilman
Andrew Cohen
announced a $10,000 donation
to the Lehman
College food pantry.
This donation will ensure
that hundreds of Lehman
students will be
continue to be served by
the pantry through the
summer months, even as
the campus remains offlimits
to most visitors
due to the coronavirus
pandemic, according to
the college.
“Hunger should never
be a barrier to an equitable
education,” Cohen
said, adding “The food
pantry has always been
an essential resource
providing students with
a myriad of food assistance
services that allow
students to focus on their
academic studies.”
Given the current set of
circumstances surrounding
COVID-19, instead of
receiving bags of food on
site, the students will be
mailed $50 gift cards so
that they may avoid the
trip to campus, according
to Suzette Ramsundar,
associate director of the
Office of Campus Life.
“The councilman’s
grant was incredibly
kind and generous,” she
said, continuing to add
“we’re using the funds to
purchase food cards from
Morton Williams to give
to students over the summer.”
The Lehman College
food bank, which was
started by student leaders
and opened in March
2017, aims to alleviate
food hardship among the
college’s students.
“I’m proud to provide
this funding to advance
Lehman food pantry’s
work addressing campus
food insecurity, deeply
rooted in the school philosophy
of fostering economic
and social mobility
through education,”
Cohen said, adding that
he is “grateful this grant
will be used to meet an
urgent need and ensure
students experiencing
hardship have access to
fresh, healthy food during
the summer months.”
Since the pandemic
began, the food bank has
seen a 300 percent increase
in student requests
for its services. While Cohen’s
grant will sustain
the pantry in the short
term, more assistance is
needed, the school stated.
To make a donation,
and support Lehman students,
visit lehman.edu/
campaignforlehman.
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