SUNY awards Educational Opportunity Center $100,000 to launch food pantry, additional services

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center will receive $100,000 to launch a food pantry and provide other services designed to strengthen student success.

The funding is part of the State University of New York’s Student Services Mini-Grant initiative. The program advances SUNY’s commitment to improving access, retention and completion by investing in essential wraparound services that help learners persist and succeed, according to SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.

“One of SUNY’s core missions is to serve as an important engine of upward mobility for New Yorkers, and the SUNY Educational Opportunity Centers are vital to achieving that goal in communities throughout New York State,” said King. “Through these grants, the SUNY EOCs will continue to build on their legacies of service and advancing student success, while ensuring that students are empowered with the resources they need during their educational journeys.” 

As part of the Student Services Mini-Grant initiative, SUNY EOCs were asked to submit proposals for initiatives addressing three critical areas of student support: food insecurity, mental health and employment placement. Five projects, each funded at $100,000 over two years and slated to launch over the next few months, were selected for their strong potential to improve student success.

The Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center will use its funding to address food insecurity, which is a major barrier to student success.

“We are very grateful to SUNY and the University Center for Academic and Workforce Development for recognizing the challenges our students face related to food security and providing resources that will allow us to better meet their basic needs and support their success,” said Ben Hilligas, executive director of the Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center.

In addition to the food pantry, the Buffalo EOC will offer nutrition education, stress management support and transportation assistance. The aim is to reduce financial strain, improve student health and strengthen workforce readiness for over 200 students. The program will also ensure continued operation and integration of services to the Buffalo EOC’s students through the development of partnerships.   

“It is no secret that many neighborhoods on Buffalo’s East Side lack access to fresh and healthy foods,” said State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes. “By creating a program to breakdown these barriers, SUNY and Buffalo EOC are meeting students where they, are and creating solutions that will have far-ranging positive effects.” 

State Senator April N.M. Baskin said addressing food insecurity across her district is a top legislative priority.

“I applaud the creative thinkers behind the Student Services Mini-Grant initiative and their foresight in establishing practical solutions and breaking barriers so that residents are put in the most advantageous situations to thrive,” said Baskin. “The Buffalo EOC is a tremendous asset in Buffalo, one that will undoubtedly expand their reach thanks to these grant monies." 

Located in 12 urban areas across the state, SUNY EOCs provide tuition-free academic and workforce development programs, as well as educational, career, and wraparound support, to socioeconomically disadvantaged New Yorkers.

Serving approximately 12,000 students per year, the SUNY EOCs yield several thousand program completions, more than 1,000 certificates and licenses, hundreds of job placements, college placements and General Education Diplomas per year. In 2026, the SUNY EOC system will celebrate 60 years of building pathways to brighter futures as one of SUNY’s cornerstone opportunity programs.