On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, the Farmingdale State College (FSC) Food Pantry, Nexus Center for Applied Learning and Career Development (Nexus Center), and Business Society joined with FSC student, faculty, and staff volunteers to hold a Thanksgiving meal kit drive for campus community members in need. 

“This is the second year FSC has offered Thanksgiving meal kits to food pantry visitors,” said Shalini Outram, PhD, applied learning food pantry coordinator."The FSC Food Pantry is proud of its Thanksgiving meal kit and turkey donation tradition, which embodies the spirit of community, compassion, and gratitude. Looking ahead, FSC remains committed to supporting initiatives that address food insecurity and foster connections within our campus and surrounding communities. As the needs of our community evolve, we will continue to explore ways to uphold and expand this meaningful tradition, ensuring that it remains a cherished part of our efforts to make a positive impact.” 

Each of the 30+ kits came complete with a turkey or chicken and ingredients for traditional sides, including stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn pudding, and green bean casserole. Totaling more than 1000 pounds of food, the kits were the result of a multifaceted campus project which included collections and donations from Island Harvest Food Bank and BankUnited, a Nexus Center corporate partner. Numerous campus clubs and departments joined more than 25 students and 20 faculty and staff volunteers in the tremendous effort.   

"The Business Society made sure that this year's kits felt like a gift for the recipients by drawing on the bags and also adding extras such as personalized notes and centerpieces to help make Thanksgiving feel more special," added Assistant Professor of Business Management Hyejin Cho, PhD, a faculty volunteer.

“BankUnited is honored to support the Farmingdale State College Food Pantry through our Thanksgiving drive,” said Eric Hibbert, BankUnited executive vice president and executive sponsor of the iCARE college scholarship and summer internship program. “Your dedication to fighting food insecurity inspires us all. We are grateful to partner with you in making a meaningful impact in the community.” 

“It is a pleasure to serve our FSC campus community, especially with our partner organizations and a team of dedicated, caring and generous volunteers who support the Food Pantry on a regular basis under the goal of providing nutritious food options to those in need,” agreed Outram.  

Vito Postiglione, ’25, a visual communications: art and graphic design major with a minor in communications, said helping collect more than 60 pounds in donations was very rewarding. “It’s so important for people who do have food insecurity that there is food available,” he said. “And it feels good to give back, especially during the holiday season. Farmingdale is such a welcoming campus and I’ve seen so much of its community working together hand-in-hand,” added Postiglione, who also volunteers through FSC’s Research Aligned Mentorship (RAM) Program.  

Litonya Smith, ’28, a science, technology, & society (STS) major, said she has been volunteering with the FSC Food Pantry since early November and looks forward to returning next semester. “It has been a great experience, especially giving out today’s bags,” she said. “I also live on campus so I’ll go back to the dorms and tell my friends they can come here for things that they need. I like letting people know about all the resources we have here.” 

The continued campus community support has made a huge impact on building awareness of the FSC Food Pantry and promoting its mission of reducing food insecurity, especially on campus, said Outram. 

“Someone wrote anonymously in our feedback survey that receiving a Thanksgiving meal kit donation from the FSC Food Pantry resulted in the first time they ever had a turkey for Thanksgiving,” she said. “This comment really resonated with me and has driven me to keep this tradition going as long as possible. I am sure there are more people out there who will benefit greatly from what we offer and because we have a no judgment policy, they can be comfortable coming to our pantry to get what they need for themselves and those around them. Thanksgiving is not only giving thanks for what you have but also giving back to the community at large.” 

View more photos from the 2024 FSC Thanksgiving meal kit drive on our Flickr Gallery. 

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