Since December 2024, SUNY Oneonta student Helena Rodriguez has spent 10 hours per week packing bags with veggies, milk, pasta, sauce and yogurt—enough to create a weekend of meals and snacks—and delivering them to nearby schools to help local families in need.
The initiative, called the Family Food Bag Project, is one part of a larger effort to help fight food insecurity in the city of Oneonta. Rodriguez, a member of the first class of SUNY’s Empire State Service Corps (ESSC), works with SUNY Oneonta’s Red Dragon Food Pantry to get the job done. Together with other student interns and SUNY Oneonta staff, Rodriguez plans meals, shops, packs and delivers the bags to Oneonta Middle School and Oneonta Head Start every Thursday.
“I learned that I love nourishing people,” says Rodriguez. “I like being involved in my school and my community. Working on the Family Food Bag Project has confirmed for me that I want to pursue a career where I can use my critical thinking and organizational skills and also make a difference in people’s everyday lives.”
Funded by a generous grant from Chobani, SUNY Oneonta’s Office of Student Care established the 9-month program, bringing together the expertise of its dietetics students, the resources of its Red Dragon Food Pantry and the ability of community partners to identify and connect with families in need. Together, this town-gown team identified 10 families to receive weekly food bags at their child’s school.
The program’s success has been in the details. “A lot of preparation and thought goes into selecting what goes into each family’s food bags each week,” says Basic Needs Counselor Alexa Tumbarello. “We consider each family’s food likes and nutritional needs. We also use our knowledge of each family’s living situation, such as whether they have the kitchen tools and appliances necessary to prepare the food items.”
Community partners believe the program has made a huge impact on local families.
“Each week food bags are delivered and distributed to OMS families who have enrolled in the program,” said Oneonta Middle School Vice Principal Abigail Losie. “It has helped us to provide weekly support to families who are in need. These students and families are genuinely grateful for all of the help that they get from the school. The program has helped the Oneonta Middle School establish a set program which did not exist for our building before. We are so thankful for the support of SUNY Oneonta and Chobani as we work to fight food insecurity in our community.”
Rodriguez is one of 50 SUNY Oneonta ESSC student members working at 31 sites on campus and 19 off campus. Announced by Governor Kathy Hochul as the sixth proposal from her 2024 State of the State agenda, the Empire State Service Corps aims to increase civic and public service opportunities for students by creating paid service positions for 464 students across 31 SUNY campuses.
Students each performed 300 paid public service hours over the course of the year in a variety of high-need areas, such as K-12 tutoring, SNAP and basic need outreach, peer mental health, sustainability, anti-hate and anti-bias prevention, nonpartisan civic engagement, and FAFSA completion.
Other members of SUNY Oneonta’s inaugural ESSC class have been recognized with high accolades. And all agree that joining the ESSC added value to their college experience.
Juliette Devenpeck, a Peer Mental Health Corps member serving at Laurens Central School, received the "Cohort Champion" award at the inaugural ESSC summit on March 1 in Syracuse. ESSC members from SUNY institutions across the state gathered at the summit to provide a valuable opportunity for networking and collaboration. Participants also had the chance to engage with SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. during an insightful fireside chat.
As part of the Peer Mental Health Cohort, much of Devenpeck's time is spent in a local K-12 guidance office, offering support in several areas. Her work includes assisting seniors with career exploration, five-year plans and resumes, as well as helping students in grades 6-9 with stress management and emotion regulation. She also provides individual reading support to a 7th-grade student.
"Serving youth is important to me because I believe in focusing on financial literacy and other life skills as a foundation for success after high school," said Devenpeck, a Psychology major and member of the class of 2028. "I have gained valuable experience working with children of all ages and abilities." Observing the daily responsibilities of a guidance counselor has further reinforced her passion for pursuing a career in school counseling.
Alex Garcia, a Peer Mental Health Corps member serving at the on-campus counseling center, received the "Excellence in Service, Going Above and Beyond" award at the inaugural Empire State Service Corps (ESSC) summit on March 1 in Syracuse. ESSC members from SUNY institutions across the state gathered at the summit to provide a valuable opportunity for networking and collaboration. Participants also had the chance to engage with SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. during an insightful fireside chat.
Through the program, Garcia has built meaningful connections with students and faculty members in the Oneonta community, gained valuable career-related skills and collaborated with others to support larger initiatives. Garcia is a dual major at SUNY Oneonta in Psychology and Sociology and a member of the class of 2026.
"Service is important to me because since I began volunteering at a young age," said Garcia. "I've seen firsthand how it builds a community and provides a platform to hear the voices and concerns of those who are historically underserved. I believe that supporting local efforts and nonprofits turns into a push toward a more equitable and welcoming world."
