Stop & Shop Helps Fill Bergen Food Pantry
PARAMUS, N.J. – According to the Hope Center at Temple University, nearly one quarter of community college students experience food insecurity at some point during their time enrolled. To help confront this unfortunate reality, grocery retailer Stop & Shop recently donated $7,500 to the Bergen Community College Bergen Cares Center food pantry. Representatives of the 350-store chain visited the College’s main campus on “Giving Tuesday,” December 2, to present the donation to Bergen officials.
“Stop & Shop’s generosity reflects a commitment to supporting the community - an important value we share,” Bergen President Eric M. Friedman, Ph.D., said. “I hope you can see firsthand how your generosity impacts our college and our students. On behalf of the trustees and everybody that supports this college, we sincerely appreciate your support.”
Stop & Shop established its food pantry program to help limit barriers impacting students’ ability to succeed in the classroom. The program has grown to support 260 education-based pantries across its five-state footprint by providing gift card donations. External Communications Manager Daniel Wolk represented the company at the donation event.
“At Stop & Shop, our number one goal has always been to combat hunger,” he said. “I need to thank the entire faculty and staff here at Bergen Community College because the fact is, without you, these students would not be able to thrive in their next chapter of their lives.”
To combat student hunger at the institution, the Bergen Cares Center offers food, clothing, emergency funds and rental/utility assistance to students, faculty and staff in need. Facing hunger in an academic setting can upset a student’s health, focus on coursework and academic success, according to Cares Center Coordinator Annie Echeverry.
“Since opening, our pantry has made a meaningful impact, providing students with reliable access to food and helping create an inclusive campus for everyone,” she said. “Thank you to Stop & Shop for investing in our student success and for standing with us in this important work.”
At the donation event, President Friedman said the Cares Center has evolved to meet student needs, including by establishing the Threads Clothing Closet, where students can receive clothing for occasions such as job interviews or simply going to class.
“The Bergen Cares Center has been recognized as a model for excellence in a community college,” he said. “I’m very proud of this initiative.”
Bergen student Julia Huber relied on the Cares Center as a new mother facing food insecurity and expressed her gratitude to Echeverry and the Center for its support.
“Imagine being a student in today’s economy, trying to move forward, trying to build a better life while inflation rises,” she said. “Now imagine walking to a place on campus where those worries suddenly have real solutions and staff smile at you and say ‘you are not alone.’ That is the difference the Bergen Cares Center can make for students like me.”
Huber now works in the Cares Center alongside Echeverry, ensuring each student has their needs met, while creating a welcoming environment for other students seeking help.
The Stop & Shop donation comes at an especially vulnerable time for those facing food insecurity. Approximately 41 million Americans recently endured the suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the federal government shutdown, including 827,200 New Jersey residents in 2024. In response, the Cares Center hosted the “Oh Snap, No SNAP” donation drive to connect Bergen students affected by the benefit lapse.
For more information on donating items to the Cares Center, or to inquire about support, email bergencares@bergen.edu.
A neighborhood grocer based in Quincy, Massachusetts for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop employs 50,000 associates at its 350 stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
Photo caption: Bergen President Eric M. Friedman, Ph.D., Bergen Cares Center Coordinator Annie Echeverry and student Julia Huber.