October 21, 2025 (Hartford, CT) – The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system today announced that Stop & Shop will increase its support to address food insecurity amongst students across CSCU’s colleges and universities with $200,000 in monetary and in-kind product donations. CSCU saw a 40% increase in monthly visits across its campus food pantries. Through this partnership, the Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program will support the CSCU system in two ways:

• $184,000 will go directly to support on-campus food pantries at Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western Connecticut State Universities and CT State Community College helping ensure students have consistent access to nutritious food and essential items.
• In partnership with General Mills, Stop & Shop will donate 1,000 care packages to be distributed during midterms week. The bags will include food staples such as Progresso Soups and healthy snacks including fruit and Nature’s Valley granola bars to provide critical support to students during a high-stress time of the academic year. General Mills has been a generous sponsor of Stop & Shop’s School Food Pantry Program for the past four years.

This year’s donation marks a 23% increase over last year’s contribution, reflecting both the long-standing partnership between CSCU and Stop & Shop, and the increasing demand for support as food insecurity continues to rise, particularly among students. The care packages were assembled at Central Connecticut State University with the help of volunteers from Stop & Shop, students, faculty, and staff and will be distributed across all four university campuses. The bags also included hand-written notes of inspiration from fellow CSCU students to encourage and inspire each other during mid-terms.

“Across our colleges and universities, so many of our students are balancing full- or part-time jobs, academic demands, caregiving responsibilities, and the ongoing challenge of affording basic necessities. Access to healthy, nutritious food helps relieve one of the many non-academic pressures they face,” said CSCU Interim Chancellor Dr. John Maduko. “Stop & Shop has been a valued partner in this work, helping us keep campus food pantries stocked with the essentials students depend on. We are deeply grateful for their continued support and for providing care packages that help our university and college students perform their very best during the stress of midterms week.”

A Fall 2024 survey of Central Connecticut State University revealed that:

• 55% of students reported that they could not afford to eat balanced meals and 47% reported they had to reduce the size of their meals because they didn’t have enough money to purchase more food.

• Over quarter of students (27%) reported they went at least one day a week without eating because of their financial situation

“We know that when students don’t have consistent access to nutritious food, it can have a detrimental effect on their educational experience,” said Dr. Zulma R. Toro, president of Central Connecticut State University. “The generosity of Stop & Shop — and the care and effort their team has shown by assembling packages alongside our students, faculty, and staff — truly embodies what it means to be part of a caring community. Their support helps Maria’s Place and our partner campuses across CSCU ensure students can focus on their studies knowing their basic needs are met.”

“Our goal is for students across Connecticut to feel supported, nourished and empowered to focus on school and their future. No one should ever go to school wondering where their next meal is coming from,” said Roger Wheeler, President of Stop & Shop. “By taking that burden off of students and their families, we are giving them a chance to focus on their schoolwork and thrive.”  

The Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program has partnered with CSCU for five years, totaling more than $597,500 in donations. The Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program was established in 2019 to limit barriers impacting students’ ability to succeed in the classroom by making sure that they have consistent access to food. The program currently serves over 270 schools across the northeast. It is one of the largest school food pantry programs in the country.

About Connecticut State Colleges and Universities

Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system includes six public institutions: Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western Connecticut State Universities, CT State Community College, and Charter Oak State College. Together, they offer more than 800 degree and certificate programs that provide affordable academic pathways for students of all ages.

With 16 main campuses and over 17 million square feet of facilities statewide, CSCU serves the largest student population in Connecticut. During the 2024-2025 academic year, CSCU served nearly 100,000 learners and awarded 13,316 degrees to 12,258 students. More than 80% of graduates from the state universities, CT State, and Charter Oak choose to remain in Connecticut to live and work, underscoring CSCU’s role as a driver of the state’s workforce and economy.

About Stop & Shop

A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop is focused on delivering a wide assortment of fresh, healthy options at a great value through strong weekly sales and everyday low prices. Its new GO Rewards loyalty program delivers personalized offers and allows customers to earn points that can be redeemed for gas or groceries every time they shop. Stop & Shop customers can choose however they want to shop – whether it’s in-store or online, which offers both delivery and same day pickup. The company is committed to making an impact in its communities by fighting hunger and working to ensure no student has to go to school hungry through its Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs over 50,000 associates and operates more than 350 stores throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.