RVCC Students Receive Inaugural Fellowship to Help Combat Food Insecurity
Raritan Valley Community College Service Learning Program students Francesca Barbiero and Bella Gonzalez, Human Services/Pre-Social Work majors, have been accepted as inaugural Engage NJ Kesselman Fellows for the Advancement of Democracy for the 2023-2024 academic year. In that role, the student Fellows will be provided leadership and professional development opportunities; engage students in efforts to combat food insecurity; and have the chance to work with other Fellows across the country who are involved in this project.
The Fellowship includes a $1,000 honorarium to support the students’ project, which focuses on
assisting with the College’s Resource Center/Food Pantry’s efforts to reduce or eliminate food insecurities and correlated insecurities for RVCC students. The Fellows will work with other service learning students and student clubs to increase resources and help promote the visibility, active engagement and awareness of the Resource Center/Food Pantry, while reducing numerous barriers to educational success.
Additionally, Francesca Barbiero and Bella Gonzalez will have the chance to work with other student Fellows nationwide. RVCC is a longtime member of Engage NJ, a consortium of colleges and universities throughout the state that is providing the support.
###
May 11, 2023
Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383
