For the fourth time in three years, Gerstner Philanthropies is supporting critical programs to address the needs of students from low-income households as they pursue an education at The City College of New York, one of the nation’s top schools for social mobility outcomes. A new $35,000 grant will bolster Benny's Food Pantry at CCNY and its community dining programs.
Launched in 2017, one of Benny's goals is to address food insecurity among those in need on The City College campus. But Benny's is also open to anyone in the City University of New York (CUNY) community, whether student, faculty or staff. CCNY, which was established in 1847, is the founding institution of CUNY.
"We’re proud to broaden our support of CCNY by investing in food access alongside our existing commitment to their emergency funds. Together, these efforts help ensure students have the resources they need to persist and graduate,” said Victoria Coker, Program Officer at Gerstner Philanthropies.
CCNY Senior Vice President Dee Dee Mozeleski, who’s also the executive director of The Foundation for City College, lauded Gerstner’s unequivocal support for the College. “Once again, Gerstner Philanthropies has shown such tremendous leadership in supporting one of our core missions to uplift students from low-income households. We are immensely grateful for their unwavering partnership.”
With this latest grant, Gerstner has awarded over $900,000 in support to CCNY since 2023, starting with a $166,667 gift to support the Helping Hands Student Emergency Fund. The program provides one-time assistance to students facing one-time emergencies with the goal to help see them through to graduation.
In 2024, Gerstner awarded an additional $100,000 to Helping Hands in response to potential challenges faced by students in the post-COVID-19 era, and as a demonstration of the organization’s commitment to CCNY.
And last year, Gerstner Philanthropies increased its commitment to Helping Hands with a two-year $600,000 grant, considerably expanding the fund. To qualify for Helping Hands assistance, the emergency must be acute, not chronic, and can be solved with a one-time grant when no other sources of funds are readily available. Emergencies that qualify for a Helping Hands grant include: a loss of job or income; medical, dental and safety emergencies; imminent homelessness or threat of eviction; overdue utility bills or a turn-off notice; lost clothes, personal items or furniture because of theft, a fire in living quarters, or a natural disaster; or victimization by domestic violence.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers, and society. At City College, more than 16,500 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity, and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together,” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College's mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic, and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Jay Mwamba
p: 917.892.0374
e:
jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu