Excelsior University kicks off Snacks for Students collection drive
ALBANY, N.Y. — Excelsior University’s community engagement group will partner with Albany High School and Troy High School for the third annual Snacks for Students collection drive. The initiative fights food insecurity in the classroom by collecting and donating healthy snacks to students each month of the 2024-25 school year. With the support of the Excelsior community, the community engagement group made the first Snacks for Students drop-off of 850 items to the two schools on Sept. 25.
During the last school year, Excelsior University’s Snacks for Students program supplied five monthly deliveries to Albany and Troy High Schools. Driven by donations from Excelsior staff and faculty, Snacks for Students provides teachers with a variety of healthful items like granola bars, bottled water and fruit snacks to distribute as needed to help students focus on education instead of hunger.
“Many teachers try to help ease hunger by making snacks accessible in their classrooms, but they are often unable to meet the demand themselves. The Snacks for Students program supports teachers and keeps students focused on their education,” said Zachary Patterson, chair of the community engagement group at Excelsior University. “We’re proud of the outpouring of donations from the Excelsior community and the incredible response from educators and students. We look forward to growing this initiative to serve more classrooms this year.”
“Snacks for Students is an excellent application of Excelsior University’s strategic plan goal of becoming a multicultural organization that harnesses our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to make an impact in our broader community,” said Daniel Pascoe Aguilar, founding director of Excelsior University’s Center for Social Justice and chief diversity officer of Excelsior University. “Thank you to Albany and Troy High Schools for their partnership and to the Excelsior community engagement group for leading this impacting program.”
Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life. According to the USDA, nearly 34 million Americans, including 5 million children, lived in food insecure households in 2021. A survey conducted by nonprofit organization No Kid Hungry demonstrates that students struggling with food insecurity face significant barriers to academic success.
Those interested in supporting the program may send donations directly to Excelsior for distribution via an Amazon Wishlist. Items can be set up using the “subscribe and save” feature for easy monthly contributions that are shipped directly to Excelsior’s mailroom. Snacks for Students deliveries will be made through June 2025.
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Media Contact Excelsior University:
Jason Bonafide, jbonafide@excelsior.edu, 518-608-8446
ABOUT EXCELSIOR UNIVERSITY
Excelsior University is an accredited, not-for-profit online institution focused on helping adults complete their degrees and advance their careers. Excelsior contributes to the development of a diverse, educated, and career-ready society by valuing lifelong learning with an emphasis on serving individuals historically underrepresented in higher education. Founded in 1971, Excelsior meets students where they are — academically and geographically — removing obstacles to the educational goals of adults pursuing continuing education and degree completion. Our pillars include innovation, flexibility, academic excellence, and integrity.
