UB’s EOC to receive SUNY ‘Mini-Grant’

UB’s Educational Opportunity Center will receive $100,000 over two years to address food insecurity, a critical area of student support designed to strengthen student success, as part of a SUNY Student Services Mini-Grant initiative for the state’s five Educational Opportunity Centers.

The initiative advances SUNY’s systemwide 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,” King said.

“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, funded in the New York State Enacted Budget, SUNY EOCs were asked to submit proposals for initiatives addressing three critical areas of student support: food insecurity, mental health and employment placement. SUNY EOCs were encouraged to design sustainable, cost-effective programs that remove barriers to student success, demonstrate measurable impact and are aligned with SUNY’s mission to expand access and equity. 

 A total of 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 EOC will use its funding to address food insecurity, a major barrier to student persistence, completion and employment, and launch its first food pantry.

“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 EOC.   

The Buffalo EOC will also integrate nutrition education, stress management support and transportation assistance, with the aim of reducing financial strain, improving student health and strengthening workforce readiness for more than 200 students. By linking access to nutritional food, practical meal preparation and wellness education, the initiative will set students on a path to sustainable success. 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 break down these barriers, SUNY and Buffalo EOC are meeting students where they are and creating solutions that will have far-ranging positive effects.” 

State Sen. April N.M. Baskin said addressing food insecurity is one of her top legislative priorities.

“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.