Food Assistance

Current New School students who do not have the means to buy adequate food for themselves are eligible to use the Food Pantry. It is a free service open to all students across all schools and programs. You may be domestic or international, and enrolled in a certificate, graduate, or undergraduate program. You are also eligible to use the pantry to meet the needs of all members of your household. Any other adults, children, or seniors who live with you and buy and eat meals with you are considered part of your household. As an emergency food program, we are also able to connect students to other resources to help ease their financial burdens.

Use this Good Eats, For Cheap recipe collection to make delicious, healthy, and affordable dishes using your Food Pantry ingredients.

The Environmental Working Group also offers tips for making healthy, hearty meals on a tight budget.

• When is the Food Pantry open? Where is it?

  The Food Pantry is located at 6 East 16th Street in the 12th floor café. View the hours of operation.

  The Food Pantry also offers pre-packed pantry bags once a week in the University Center. Bags are offered on a first come, first served basis on Thursdays from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the University Center, room 513.

  If you absolutely cannot visit during the regular food distribution days and times, email foodpantry@newschool.edu to discuss options.

• What will happen when I visit the Food Pantry?

  When you visit the Food Pantry, you will receive an orientation to the food and services we provide. You will be able to receive food items after completing a demographics survey and meeting with a staff person, who may be able to connect you to additional resources related to food and housing security, health, and academics. Services and referrals you receive are independent from your academic records.

• Who operates the Food Pantry?

  The Food Pantry at The New School is supported by staff from Student Support and Crisis Management, Student Health Services, and Student Housing and Residence Life. It also has a large team of volunteers from across the university that includes staff, faculty, and students.

• How often can I visit the Food Pantry?

  As long as you have the need, you can pick up a pantry bag each time the pantry is open. The bag contains enough food for nine meals (aiming for three breakfasts, lunches, and dinners) per household member.

• What kind of food is available?

  The New School partners with the Food Bank for New York City and obtains food through its discounted wholesale system, as well as donations. In accordance with USDA nutrition guidelines, food items include grains, proteins, dairy, vegetables, and fruits. We use a customer choice model, in which you choose a certain number of  items from each food group. Most of our food is nonperishable, but we occasionally have fresh fruits and vegetables, provided through Corbin Hill Farm Share. We hope to expand our selection to include more fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.

• I know a student who could use the Food Pantry. How do I refer them?

  There are a few ways to refer students to the pantry. You can simply tell them about the pantry's hours and location and encourage them to drop in during pantry hours. If you have access to Starfish, you can make a referral through the system to Student Support and Crisis Management. You can also email foodpantry@newschool.edu to refer students or inquire about what we offer or contact the Food Pantry's director, Andrea MacFarlane, at 212.229.5900 x3965.

• I want to support the Food Pantry. How can I help?

  There are many ways you can get involved with the Food Pantry, from helping manage the space to organizing food drives around campus. Below are several options, but there may be others you can identify and help develop. Email foodpantry@newschool.edu to sign up. Food security is health!

  Adopt the Pantry

  Programs, offices, student organizations, and entire schools can adopt the Food Pantry for a given month. If you adopt the pantry, you will be responsible for promotion within your unit, collecting the food items, and delivering them to the pantry during that month.

  Food we can accept:

  • Nonperishable food items
  • Canned foods like soup, fruit, and vegetables
  • Boxed food like cereal, granola bars, pasta, and grains
  • Shelf-stable dairy items before the expiration date
  • Shelf-stable juice before the expiration date

  Nonfood items we can accept:

  • Unopened or individually packaged hygiene products
  • Cookware (utensils, pots, pans, etc.)
  • Household items and cleaning products

  Volunteer at Distributions

  We need help at pantry distributions to stock shelves, organize the pantry, and orient students to the pantry. Email foodpantry@newschool.edu if you'd like to get involved.

  All Hands on Deck: Unloading and Organizing Donations

  We need all hands on deck when deliveries arrive at 6 East 16th Street. If you want to be part of the crew that receives an email blast and then hurries over to the building to help unload the delivery, let us know.

  Become a Cook: Helping with Food Demonstrations, Developing Recipes, and Tabling

  Want to help with food demonstrations, developing recipes, and tabling around campus? This is beyond the walls of the pantry and is an excellent opportunity for people who want to promote the pantry with food and programming.

  Make Food Security a Class Project

  Are you a professor or a student? Make food security a central part of your curriculum. Consider questions like: What would programs beyond a pantry look like? What does the university need in order to provide food security to all community members? How can our class creatively support The New School's Food Pantry?

  Fundraising

  Can your program, student organization, or school match funds so that we can expand what we offer? A few examples:

  • We would love to provide a larger variety of options for students. How can we make that a reality?
  • We will be hosting online food drives in which you can buy our most needed and most popular items through the Food Bank For New York City's discount bulk website.
  • We purchase farm shares for the pantry that cost $15. Can you host a fundraiser to help us purchase share(s)?

Other Food Resources

Students in need of additional food resources can turn to New York City programs that provide free meals and funding to purchase groceries. 

• Food Stamps/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

  The Food Bank for New York City conducts pre-screenings to assess eligibility and enroll in food stamps/SNAP. The Food Bank offers access to trained professionals who provide detailed information and answer questions.

  Their food stamp information call center is available Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., at 212.894.8060. You can also check for eligibility and/or apply for food stamps/SNAP yourself online.

• Soup Kitchens

  It is recommended that you visit the sites below to get the most up-to-date food distribution schedules. For information about emergency food program locations and hours of operation, call the Emergency Food Line at 866.888.8777. This is an automated hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The New York City Human Resources Administration also has an online, interactive map of food pantry locations throughout the city.

  Food Bank for New York City
  212.566.7855

  The Food Bank for New York City website has a list of food pantries and soup kitchens by location and borough.

  Hetrick Martin Institute for LGBTQ youth ages 13–24
  2 Astor Place at Broadway
  212.674.2600

  Middle Collegiate Church Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen
  50 East 7th Street at 2nd Avenue
  212.477.0666

  The Village Temple Soup Kitchen
  33 East 12th Street at University Place
  212.674.2340

  GMHC Meals Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry
  446 West 33rd Street
  212.367.1263