Published:
Maria’s Place at Central Connecticut State University has gained an important ally in the fight against food insecurity.
A partnership between Central and Connecticut Foodshare will ensure that the shelves at the campus food pantry will stay fully stocked with high-demand items all semester long.
Connecticut Foodshare partners with several food pantries around the state, offering free goods and other resources. Through its Grocery Purchasing Program, Connecticut Foodshare purchases truckloads of high-demand products and resells them to partner programs at cost.
Connecticut Foodshare is a member of the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks.
Maria’s Place opened in February of 2017 to provide free food assistance to students. It is named after Maria Alvarez, who worked at Central for more than 30 years and passed away in 2015. Alvarez was known to many for her deep commitment to students and to helping the less fortunate at her parish food pantry.
“I am grateful to Connecticut Foodshare for their support of Maria’s Place, a critical campus resource. Their commitment to addressing food insecurity contributes to our mission of fostering an environment where all students can succeed,” says Central President Zulma R. Toro. “Food insecurity remains a significant challenge for many of our students, and it is our responsibility to ensure that every member of the Central family has the resources they need to thrive.”
In Central’s most recent annual Food and Housing Insecurity Survey, approximately half of the survey respondents reported that they worry about whether their food will last before they have the funds to purchase more. During the 2023-24 academic year, total visits to Maria’s Place tripled over the previous academic year.
"We are so proud to be partnering with Central and Maria’s Place to help address food insecurity on campus,” says Foodshare President and CEO Jason Jakubowski. “Over the past 10 years, food banks all across the country have recognized that many college students struggle with hunger. It is a national problem that we’re doing our best to address right here in Connecticut.”