The Food Bank of the Southern Tier has received $10,000 from the Corning Incorporated Foundation to support the School Food Pantry at the Bush Campus of GST BOCES.
The Bush Campus in Elmira Heights serves mainly low-income students with specialized education needs. The School Food Pantry provides service to food-insecure families with menus of family-friendly grocery items. The pantry opened last spring and serves 125 adults and children in 35 households.
In addition to the delivery of food, the School Pantry provides work experience and the development of job skills for the student who participate in the program. Students in the Phoenix Academy earn credit toward their Career Development and Occupational Studies diploma. The Phoenix Academy is an Alternative Education program offering specialized learning opportunities for students whose learning style differs from the traditional schools setting.
In the Southern Tier, one in five children is at risk of hunger – higher than the national average. Throughout the Food Bank’s service area, nearly 42,000 children qualify for free and reduced-priced school meals – a key indicator of the need for nutritional support. A quarter of those children live in households that earn just enough to disqualify them for federal nutritional assistance.
The Corning Incorporated Foundation is a charitable contributions organization established by Corning Incorporated in 1952. Through leadership and collaboration, the Foundation strives to foster vibrant, enriching, and supportive Corning communities. The Foundation focuses on education, human services, culture, and volunteerism in Corning business locations.