Rockland Community College was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank to assist the College in its Connection Center Hunger Relief Initiative. The Connection Center provides empathetic, non-academic supports for students and their families, through on-campus or community-based resources. Connection Center staff helps students identify and connect with appropriate resources based on individual situations, which may include housing, childcare, clothing, food, legal services, medical and mental health assistance, counseling, employment and more. One of the most common non-academic struggles faced by RCC students is food insecurity.
The Connection Center Hunger Relief Initiative will engage RCC students as volunteers and trained Resource Navigators in service-learning projects that will focus on reducing hunger and poverty in the County. The goal is to establish connections to secure and maintain resources needed for individuals, especially at-risk community college students, who are experiencing hunger, homelessness, and other needs that impact their ability to remain enrolled and succeed in college classes. RCC also has an on-campus Food Cupboard, food voucher and food distribution programs in partnership with People to People and Meals on Wheels.
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, one of the 10 l
argest commercial banking organizations in the United States. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed more than $200 million and more than 19,500 grants in charitable donations from Maine to Florida. The Foundation’s mission aligns with The Ready Commitment, TD’s corporate citizenship platform targeting 1$ billion by 2030 to address four key areas of concern: Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities, Financial Security and Better Health.
“Our food insecure students will greatly benefit from TD Charitable Foundation’s generous support. Partnerships like this help our students meet their basic needs, while embarking on their individual journeys of success. RCC depends on its exceptional community partners to help alleviate hunger on its campuses,” explained Joseph Falco, who oversees RCC’s Connection Center, and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 15 years of social services experience. “The grant will help to build resource infrastructure to increase the capacity of the Connection Center to serve students and the community.”
For more information about RCC’s Connection Center Hunger Relief Initiative and other services for students and families, contact Joseph Falco at (845) 574-4414 or jfalco@sunyrockland.edu.
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