Kean Strengthens Resources for Students Amid Disruptions to Federal Food Assistance Benefits
Cougar Pantry offers an assortment of donated non-perishable foods and health and hygiene products for Kean University students.
Kean University is supporting students affected by recent disruptions to federal food assistance benefits to address food insecurity on campus and ensure all students have what they need to succeed.
Cougar Pantry, the University’s food pantry, and the Cougar Connections Center of Social Work (CCCSW) launched a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Hardship Application to collect information from students, enabling the University to coordinate additional support through campuswide collaboration and foundation partnerships.
“At Kean, we understand that meeting students’ basic needs is fundamental to their ability to learn and thrive,” said Kean University President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D. “Our efforts to address food insecurity reflect our deep commitment to caring for the whole student and standing with them in times of uncertainty.”
Erika Charles, vice president of wellness for integrated health, safety and response services at Kean and the University's chief well-being officer, emphasized that the goal is to ensure that no student goes without essential resources.
“It is important for our Kean community to understand that developments at the federal level have a direct impact on our students and their families,” she said. “Kean is an anchor institution rooted in the well-being of our community. It is our strategic imperative to come together and address the needs of our students, ensuring that no student goes hungry. We thrive only when we support one another.”
The Cougar Pantry leadership team is working with the Kean University Foundation to replenish pantry inventory and provide grocery store gift cards for students in need. The pantry has been in operation since 2019.
The CCCSW maintains a strong relationship with the Union County Department of Human Services. Now that CCCSW has joined forces with Cougar Pantry, the two programs are collaborating to identify and coordinate available resources for Kean students, connecting them with external support when needed.
“We have students who rely on federal and state support,” Charles said. “This is a time for us to really pull together the community to ensure that no one is hungry and that students can still focus on their academics while receiving the necessary support.”