For many college students, success in the classroom begins with having their basic needs met. At Purchase College, the Food Pantry serves as more than a place to access groceries. It is a welcoming space where students are met with dignity, compassion, and reassurance that they are not alone.
Lizz Elvira, Assistant Director of the Multicultural Center, Food Pantry Supervisor, and Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, has dedicated her work to creating an environment where students can access the support they need to thrive. Through the partnership between Purchase College and Feeding Westchester, the pantry provides nutritious food and essential resources to students navigating financial challenges while pursuing their education.
For Lizz, addressing food insecurity means understanding that a student’s well-being extends beyond academics.
“If you don’t eat and you’re not well-fed and you’re hungry, you can’t learn,” Lizz explained.
That belief guides the work of the pantry every day. Beyond providing food, the pantry strives to remove stigma and create a space where students feel comfortable asking for help. Students who visit the pantry are treated with respect, understanding, and care, because needing support does not define their worth.
“Needing food doesn’t make you any less of a person and doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have that same dignity and respect that other people do,” Lizz shared.
Food insecurity exists in every community, including college campuses, where students often balance tuition, housing, transportation, and other everyday expenses. By offering reliable access to food and connecting students with additional resources, the Purchase College Food Pantry helps ensure that temporary hardships do not become barriers to education and opportunity.
The partnership between Purchase College and Feeding Westchester demonstrates what is possible when communities invest in the whole person. By recognizing the connection between nourishment, belonging, and success, the pantry helps students feel supported not only as learners, but as individuals.
Lizz’s work is a reminder that hunger relief is about more than providing meals, it is about creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and empowered. Through compassion, equity, and community support, students are given the opportunity to continue their educational journey with confidence and hope.
