Maria College food bank gets stocked by volunteers
Workers from nonprofit give boost to school
More than 340 of Maria College’s 900 students are nontraditional—older than 25, returning to the classroom, often while caring for family members and holding down full-time jobs while attending the private, coed Catholic school.
That can leave them vulnerable to the pandemic’s economic impact of furloughs and curtailed hours. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1958, Maria’s longtime mission has been to prepare financially disadvantaged students for careers. They’re often supporting families while they earn degrees. And 22 percent are eligible for SNAP benefits.
The Maria Market Food Pantry is there to help feed students and their families this past year.
“This is a 100 percent commuter school. There’s no campus housing and no student meal program,” said Paul Mcevoy, an associate vice president at Maria. “They’re often studying health care professions in order to
change careers or earn additional credentials in nursing or occupational therapy and so on. These are hardworking people often doing jobs in which they care for others while studying to improve their skills and their lives.”
Mcevoy said the school’s study of those enrolled who completed a student aid form in 20182019, showed that 56 percent reported household incomes of less than
$39,999, which is just above 209 percent of the federal poverty level for families of two placing them in the bottom third of household income for New York.
“It can be a struggle to stay focused on studies when you don’t know when your next meal will be,” Mcevoy said.
Workers at the nonprofit New York State Industries for the Disabled volunteered to fill the Maria pantry shelves with nonperishable food and essential items not covered by SNAP such as tampons, toothpaste, soap and toilet paper. NYSID helps nearly 6,000 New Yorkers with disabilities annually find jobs.
During the pandemic, the employees tackled food insecurity by donating and volunteering at Feed Albany and Catholic Charities.
“NYSID did a great job,” Mcevoy said. “The pantry shelves are full, for now.”
And Maria students are in for a pleasant surprise in the coming year. Mcevoy said the college is working with Albany ’s Honest Weight Food Coop to provide affordable, prepared meals for students. The co-op is known for its locally produced meats and vegetables. It also features a full-service deli, fresh salad bar, all-organic juice bar, fair-trade coffee, housebrined rotisserie chickens and custom-made sandwiches.