Stop & Shop has donated $10,000 to Suffolk County Community College to support food pantries at the college’s three campuses as students prepare to begin the new academic year.

The donation, made through the grocery chain’s School Food Pantry Program, comes in the form of gift cards and will help provide students with nutritious food and other essentials at the Ammerman Campus in Selden, Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood and Eastern Campus in Riverhead.

Suffolk County Community College serves approximately 26,000 students, with nearly 37% receiving Pell Grants. The college has operated food pantries for decades, including the Brentwood pantry, which was the first college food pantry established in New York state and has served students since the 1970s.

“Our food pantries provide an important resource for students facing food insecurity, and this support will help ensure that students across all three campuses have access to nutritious food and can remain focused on achieving their educational goals,” said Suffolk County Community College President Edward T. Bonahue.

The Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program supports more than 290 schools across the company’s five-state footprint, including more than 120 schools in New York and 51 on Long Island. The program provides gift cards and cash donations to help schools stock existing food pantries or establish new ones.

“As students prepare to begin a new academic year, no one should have to worry about where their next meal will come from,” said Daniel Wolk, external communications manager for Stop & Shop. “We are proud to support their efforts through our School Food Pantry Program.”