Food pantries at SUNY schools help provide another source of steady meals for students who can't always afford it. They can also be a source of comfort for students far from home at the holidays.

The SUNY Sullivan food pantry does so much to help Tynise Pressley-Bennett get food that she decided to give back. The college freshman started volunteering there.

“Whatever I give, God will give me 10 times back," she said. "So I'm always very helpful. I'm very genuine. I just feel like I belong here to help the people.”

It’s an unfortunate need for students around the state. Every SUNY has a food pantry accessible to students.

Deb Waller-Frederick, Sullivan’s pantry director, says with food costs as high as they are, the demand has only grown over time.

“We had 444 individual visits our first year," she said. "This last year, we had 1,401 visits. So the need is there. The need is there every day, every week.”

SUNY Sullivan's pantry stays running through charitable donations, and most recently received $1,500 from the Grahamsville Reformed Church. 

The pantries are especially important for older students that enroll at two-year schools. Many of them still have spouses and kids to feed at home after class.

“We are feeding families, multi-generational families," Waller-Frederick said. "Many of our students are considered adult students, and they are changing their workforce. They might be extending their education.”

Pressley-Bennett said she and her teammates on the basketball team use the food pantry all the time; most places are either too expensive or too far away.

“Like me and my whole team, my whole house use the pantry," she said. "Especially because I work here now. They call me like, ‘Yo, do we got this in the pantry?’ I’m like, 'Yeah, come.'”