The CTA and anabels are hubs on campus and Cornell would be a lesser place without them. If the SA can continue to fund them, it should.

Every individual that Anabel's has touched has nothing but positive, growth filled things to say about it. Teaching students how to manage a small business in the class, allowing for community space surrounding food with attention to local agriculture and food systems, passing the beauty in appreciation of what a good meal can do for someone, what healthy food can do for people who might not be able to afford it. As a contrast to the wasteful procedures of and expensive cost of Cornell's many dining halls, this space allows for people to access food in ways that make them think about what they're eating, and how that contributes to the economy. It would be a deleterious shame to see Anabel's get lobotomized from our campus.

I love the community at Anabel’s. The store doesn’t just offer high-quality, affordable produce—it serves as a hub that brings together student organizations like Dilmun Hill, the Hydroponics Club, and Bread Club, creating a unique space for collaboration and sustainability on campus. I recently became involved as a student vendor through Bool Street Noods, and selling our products at Anabel’s has been an incredible experience. Losing Anabel’s wouldn’t just mean the closure of a store—it would be a huge loss for student entrepreneurship, sustainable food initiatives, and the Cornell community as a whole. Let’s do what we can to keep Anabel’s open!

Yes, I have been incredibly impacted by the services of Anabel's Grocery. As a freshman, this is one of the first unique classes to Cornell that I discovered. After visiting the store, I knew I wanted to take the course and would fit it into my schedule some day. Now, many of my friends have taken the course and I am finally in it, and it is teaching me so much about the history and current state of our food system. This knowledge and the practice of creating and contributing to a community-based organization that supports people's wellbeing is something that I find more invaluable now than ever, as other welfare programs are being stripped on the federal level (and believe me, I am seeing the trickle down effects to people who are food insecure). Anabel's has allowed me to envision a world in which our economies are just, localized, and collaborative, benefitting all people.

The Student Assembly should most definitely look into alternative funding, and it would be optimal to have the funding guaranteed and stable so that Anabel's can exist in the same way. This is in no way a threat to administration, faculty, staff, or any student who may not be in support of Anabel's, but from the passionate customers, volunteers, and coworkers I have met through working there, I truly believe that students will rise up in protest if Anabel's can no longer continue due to a lack of support from the University. Do not mess this one up, Cornell.

Anabel's is a place of community, safety, and refuge. We need this place.

Anabel's grocery is one the closest and easily most affordable healthy and fresh grocery option for students on campus. On a campus that researches and promotes equitable food access, taking financial support away from Anabel's is saddening. I personally use Anabel's for grocery items weekly. Every time I have been in Anabel's there are many students shopping for groceries as well. In addition, Anabel's has been a phenomenal collaborator with many other organizations on campus. I work closely with Food Recovery Network which has collaborated with Anabel's to run G-body meetings focused on use of produce as it "goes bad." In collaboration, Anabel's and Food Recovery Network have been able to educate many students about how to optimize this food, such as in jelly making demonstrations. Anabel's has worked with many other student organizations + businesses such as Dilmun Hill Student Farm, Cornell Basic Need Coalition, Bool Street Noods, etc. Not having Anabel's would be a loss to the student community at Cornell in many unique capacities.

ANABEL IS ESSENTIAL FOR STUDENTS and beyond the cornell community. It is necessary force for us to receive high quality and affordable groceries.

Taking away Anabels and other CTA orgs takes away my sense of pride in attending this school. It is truly a shame to attend a school that does not support the ideals that it pretends to. Your alumni, your students, your community, care about this. We care about doing the greatest good. Why would you take that away from your campus, from the individuals impacted by the 36 orgs the CTA supports? You should be ashamed.

As a sophomore and junior, I did not have a car and did not have access to a meal plan. I had about $100 per month to spend on groceries and was super active and Anabel's was the only way I was able to feed myself. They have high quality food at affordable prices and there is something to be said for being able to purchase food rather than going to the campus food pantry that is super empowering. Please fund Anabel's by any means necessary.

As an upperclassmen international student who lives off campus I have found Anabel's to be a great resource on campus. It provides access to food for so many individuals at such decent prices right on our campus.

Student Assembly should absolutely consider exploring more sources of funding for Anabel's.

Anabel's is one of the few places to get affordable and healthy foods on campus. It is a lifesaver to so many students.

Anabel's is a unique resource for accessible and affordable fresh produce and groceries in general. Without it student nutrition and well-being will suffer.

The student assembly should do everything in it's power to keep Anabel's funded

Anabel's is a critical resource to many students on campus for affordable and accessible produce and groceries in general. There is no where else that can match it for prices or the ease of access being directly on campus. Without it the nutrition and well-being of students on campus will directly suffer.

The student assembly should do everything in it's power fund this program

President Kotlikoff,

First, congratulations on your appointment as President. I doubt you remember me, but I served on your Provost Selection Committee as an undergraduate student many years ago. I've rooted for you ever since, and I am sure you can be a thoughtful leader in support of an initiative that is clearly impacting many students and make the right decision here.

I co-founded Anabel's as a student in 2013, and while it was a rocky road to get where we are today, I am thrilled to see all of its progress to date. Seeing the thousands of students outlining how Anabel's provided them value over the years brought me to tears. To me, Anabel's is one of the reasons universities still have value today. It is a living and breathing organism that young people constantly evolve and recreate under the advisement of faculty, Cornell staff, and alumni. Today, the Anabel's at Cornell is not what I envisioned many years ago. It is better. It is better precisely because of the reasons you and I love Cornell; the creation, the destruction, the recreation of ideas from passionate, smart, and committed people.

It's also helping people. Cornell is expensive. There is no way around it. I know the institution is generous, and financial aid is meaningful. Still, we cannot forget that anything with a price tag of $60,000 to $70,000 - no matter the financial aid - will find ways to be too expensive for students from limited financial means - just like me. I graduated from Cornell with $135,000 of student debt, and like many students over the years, food felt like a place where I could skimp or skip a meal to keep that debt as low as possible. Anabel's isn't a catch-all solution, and I'm also cognizant Cornell is approaching it in other ways, too. That is also great. But this problem is too big - and Anabel's has helped too many people - and eliminating it for the cost of less than one FTE on campus seems thoughtless.

While I hope the administration can play a more significant role in finding support for this initiative, I am thrilled the students are ready to support the effort. The ask is simple; let the SA do what they need to do and create a glide path to success for this initiative.

Wishing you continued success and happiness,
Matthew

Anabel's has been absolutely essential for allowing me to eat affordable, local produce year-round without a car in Ithaca. There is really nothing that comes close in quality, price, and convenience, especially in the winter. Losing Anabel's would be a big hit to my food security, and I'm sure many other grad students at Cornell would agree.

Anabel's has been absolutely essential for allowing me to eat affordable, local produce year-round without a car in Ithaca. There is really nothing that comes close in quality, price, and convenience, especially in the winter. Losing Anabel's would be a big hit to my food security, and I'm sure many other grad students at Cornell would agree.

Anabel’s provided the best affordable and healthy source of food for students, Cornell is making a huge mistake that will negatively affect so many students

Throughout my time at Cornell, I've relied heavily on Anabel's to make sure I have enough to eat. Anabel's is the only accessible grocery store without a car, other than Green Star (which has a very limited selection and is extremely expensive). Without Anabel's, I know plenty of people who would simply go hungry. Even with a car, food prices have been rising in Ithaca, and I would almost never get fresh produce without relying on Anabel's. Cornell's commitment to reducing food insecurity requires continuing to fund Anabel's, and I am appalled to see its funding being cut.

Anabel's is an organization that unites and brings other student groups together!

I was involved with the Cornell Hydroponics club, and I volunteered with Dilmun Hill Student farm.
In both student clubs, we had so much fun in the greenhouses and in the field growing produce for the Anabel's.

We felt a greater sense of purpose when we knew the vegetables would go to Anabel's. We were proud that we were providing students with healthy, fresh produce. This produce would be available to students who don't have cars and who need low prices.

Without Anabel's as an outlet for Cornell Hydroponics Club and Dilmun Hill Student Farm, I worry that the sense of purpose and pride in these clubs will go away. There won't be a centralized location that students know they can access these wonderful vegetables.

Please keep Anabel's so it can unite the other clubs for a shared purpose of making local produce accessible!

As a parent of two Cornell students, one of whom depended on Anabel’s and one of whom will depend on it when he moves off campus, I am asking The Student Assembly to urgently search for alternative funding to keep Anabel’s open. I also urge Cornell to reconsider its decision and to continue supporting Anabel’s and the Center for Transformation.

Anabel's is so important for improving student access to nutritious and affordable food, especially for low-income students.

As a graduate student, Anabel’s has been incredibly helpful for me in getting fresh, local and bulk food and having access to this food on campus. Please keep or find funding for Anabel’s.

The Cornell community will severely miss Anabel's as an important facet in not only creating a sense of welcoming and community, but also providing fresh, affordable produce. Anabel's has hosted many events in collaboration with my club and many others. Additionally, us students who don't have access to a car rely on it for affordable, fresh food - something hard to come by on campus. There were many days where I just relied on eating packaged ramen noodles and soda from Nasties and the like before I found about Anabel's. By removing funding for Anabel's, Cornell is taking away a vital resource in our community. This is not doing the greatest good.

Please keep Annabels. It is so important and I use it all the time. Please please please please it is such an important resource for students without cars who live off campus.

I know so many people who rely on Anabel's to survive. I am in solidarity with them.

Anabel's is a critical food resource for the Cornell community, including students, staff, and faculty. It is the only affordable source of groceries for the community on campus. Anabel's is especially important for people who don't have access to cars to drive to other grocery options. Plus, the student staff are friendly and the food options are nutritious at a great price. That's rare to find these days.

Cornell’s decision to cut funding for Annabelle’s Grocery and other organizations under the Center for Transformative Action reveals its true priorities. While the university claims financial constraints, it has no problem allocating $68 million for two new synthetic turf fields on Tower Road and planning millions more for a sports complex on Game Farm Road. Meanwhile, vital community initiatives—like the Alternatives Library and student co-ops that bridge Cornell with the wider community—are left to wither. The Center for Transformative Action was one of the last remnants of Cornell’s conscience, and its defunding underscores the university’s growing disconnect from meaningful, community-driven work. They have money for plastic fields derived from fossil fuel but not for students and local initiatives—that says everything. Shame on you, Cornell!

Living on North campus without a car and having to take out loans for college, Anabel's is the one way I am able to afford groceries and it would be a huge loss for me and so many other students if it were taken away. As well, I am a volunteer at Anabel's and through this experience I have met so many like-minded students who are committed to taking action against food insecurity on our campus. It would be a colossal mistake and a poor reflection upon the university to take away this essential resource for all students (not just low-income), and a community that has created a safe space for so many volunteers and customers.

The first time I visited Anabel, I felt proud that my University thought about affordable, nutritious food options for students. I am still shocked that the University is ignoring the connection between having access to good, affordable food and our lives as students. Keep it alive! Make us proud!

I have never been able to afford to have a car on campus, so my options for getting healthy fruits and vegetables are limited to having the time to spend half a day taking the bus to target or Wegmans (which is hard for any Cornell student to make time for) and the few very expensive shops in C-town. Even the dining halls have very limited truly fresh fruit and veggie options which is so silly given that we live in a region with thriving agriculture. As a student who studies food systems, it is even more clear to me the amazing work Anabel's does - accepting SNAP benefits, making groceries and most importantly fresh fruits and veggies more accessible to those on campus, providing a vital learning opportunity for those who are interested in working in sustainable food systems, and beyond that a wonderful community full of amazing and kind people dedicated to making healthy and affordable food more successful. Losing Anabels because CTA funding is ended would be a devastating blow to the Cornell community, academically, socially, and health-wise. I hope with my whole heart that Cornell can continue to provide this fantastic service to Cornell students.

Anabel's was kind enough to welcome my course, NS 4250: Nutrition Counseling and Communications to partner with them to create nutrition content. Anabel's is much more than a grocery store, it is a welcoming community, experiential learning to our students and a solution to food insecurity for our student population. Please keep this Cornell institution intact for future Cornellians!

One of the many wonderful things about Cornell University is the way it encourages students to create, innovate, and extended their talents beyond the campus. Anabel's is a fine example of the way students have been moved by this encouragement.. The recent decision to end affiliation with SCL is disappointing and dismaying. Anabel's is helping to address a real issue faced by Cornell students. Why put a successful project in jeopardy in this manner? It seems illogical. As to whether the Student Assembly should pursue other avenues of funding, it must do so if the aforementioned decision remains unchanged.

Anabel's serves as a reminder of what students can do on this campus. It is student initiatives like these that have created many of the longstanding traditions Cornell has. Providing students the invaluable learning opportunity to understand what it takes to run a small grocery store without any financial investment equips students with the skills become successful business owners, and these skills cannot be taught in a typical classroom setting. The benefit of having subsidized groceries available to students in a convenient location is a huge help to busy, budget-conscious students who don't have a car to drive to the grocery store. For these reasons, Anabel's benefits to the community outweigh the costs and should be maintained. Also, the costs to restart an initiative like Anabel's far outweighs the costs to maintain it, so it is very likely financially advantageous to keep Anabel's despite any short-term budget issues.

One of the many wonderful things about Cornell University is the way it encourages students to create, innovate, and extended their talents beyond the campus. Anabel's is a fine example of the way students have been moved by this encouragement.. The recent decision to end affiliation with SCL is disappointing and dismaying. Anabel's is helping to address a real issue faced by Cornell students. Why put a successful project in jeopardy in this manner? It seems illogical. As to whether the Student Assembly should pursue other avenues of funding, it must do so if the aforementioned decision remains unchanged.

Anabel’s always supports Cornell students' availability to healthy food, and it's really heartbreaking to go without it. Providing fresh food is the baseline of the sustainability and food security on campus. Don't make a wrong decision.

As a former Dilmun Hill Student Farm manager, I've worked closely with Anabel's because it is our major outlet for fruits and vegetables. Anabel's Grocery is the cornerstone of a sustainable food system in the Cornell/Ithaca community, providing fresh, nutritious, and locally produced food for students and community members.

Anabel's is crucial to the community, and its mission aligns with what Cornell stands for. It makes the basic necessity of affordable food accessible to people! The people involved with Anabel's are also great, and I look forward to taking the class in upcoming years.

Cornell should work to save Anabel's and CTA as a whole, which provide so many meaningful services for students and community members.

As an undergraduate junior on campus, Anabels helped me daily to manage living off-campus and keeping up with my studies. Anabels groceries allowed me to afford healthy meal options and fresh produce at a low cost, which is extremely important to my physical and mental health at Cornell. With this service, I am able to dedicate my time to my college education, without any additional stress and concerns of if I can affordable a sustainable meal or if I need to resort to skipping meals. Without Anabels, I would need to spend more time, energy, and money to get the same bar of groceries, whether that means sacrificing my bank account for quick but more expensive produce options in college town, sacrificing my studying time to travel to other far grocery stores in Ithaca, or sacrificing my health for cheaper but unhealthier options such and frozen foods or no food. The existence of Anabels has allowed me to make the most out of my time at Cornell and make use of the excellent professors, and academic and professional opportunities that the university provides.

Please continue to fund Anabels! It is one of the only places students can buy affordanle, high quality groceries. It seems like a relatively low cost to Cornell considering the immense benefit it provides to students.

I know of so many people--myself included--who need Anabel's for their halal, vegan, and sustainable products. Especially during Ramadan and Lenten times, many are seeking alternative food options that aren't guaranteed at dining halls or cafes. For those living off campus and who don't have access to dining halls, Anabel's is the perfect midway between on-campus and off-campus affordable food options. I can attest to their commitment to serving EVERYBODY despite political, campus, and administrative uncertainty.

With this said the student assembly should definitely explore other means of funding Anabels if Cornell's stance on their CTA funding does not change. Why not preserve one of the last non-dining hall initiatives on campus that exemplifies 1) sustainability 2) religious and socioeconomic inclusion 3) physical accessibility? To fight for Anabels is to fight for the student body and their needs. Save students from hunger, inaccessibility, and limitation!

More than just a (vital!) student resource, Anabel’s is training the next generation of food systems professionals! Our sophomore daughter’s entire academic focus has been shaped by the time she’s spent at Anabel’s—first as a customer, then as a practicum student, and now as a volunteer & board member. Thanks to Anabel’s, she is (as the AEM 3385 description reads) “passionate about making healthy food accessible to everyone through practical actions that further racial, economic, and ecological justice. She will undoubtedly magnify Cornell’s investment in this program in her post-college career. I urge the Student Assembly to explore alternative funding sources for Anabel’s so that other students can have access to this transformative learning experience!

Nowhere near campus offers affordable fresh produce and healthy dietary options like Anabel's. I love purchasing my groceries there, supporting small and local businesses while also supporting my body physically with their nutritious foods.
It's run by the students, giving them invaluable experience working a store, and it's for the students, offering groceries at an incredibly affordable price.
If Cornell cares about us, please keep Anabel's going. Please support the store through alternative funding options.

Nowhere near campus offers affordable fresh produce and healthy dietary options like Anabel's. I love purchasing my groceries there, supporting small and local businesses while also supporting my body physically with their nutritious foods.
It's run by the students, giving them invaluable experience working a store, and it's for the students, offering groceries at an incredibly affordable price.
If Cornell cares about us, please keep Anabel's going. Please support the store through alternative funding options.

Anabel's has provided both myself and multiple other low income students with essential, nutritious food that otherwise we may not have access to. Removing funding for this service is irresponsible and shows a lack of care for low income Cornellians.

Anabel's has been extremely useful for me and many other students I know. It is essential that we have access to more affordable food options. Anabel's is doing amazing work by reducing food insecurity on campus and the student assembly should find a way to help fund this necessary organization.

Annabel's offered amazing food at affordable prices. The workers there are also extremely warm and welcoming, making this place a safe haven for many. Without Anabel's, low-income students may not have access to emergency free food from the free foodfridge, making it CRUCIAL and a NECESSICITY to save Anabel's!

My partner and I bought ingredients from Anabel that would otherwise be expensive to obtain. The food led to a memorable experience cooking together and with other friends. It is the small things like this that make up the quality of life we currently have at Cornell. Students should have the ability to obtain affordable food on campus for occasions like these, and especially if they are not on a university meal plan. I believe that changing this part of student and local life is greedy and an action too financially obsessed.

Anabel's has led the way in understanding how food access and a journey through cooperative-ship is a cornerstone to making pivotal change - to bring into question CTA's and Anabel's existence is to cause a direct rupture in the ways that we navigate care and freedom. Anabel's not only provides access to food at a reasonable price, but also is one of the few places to get food that is not pre-made on campus - it's location and space is safe, comforting, and a way to see food differently, to see life differently.

Anabel's not only is an important part of the food network at Cornell but they make connections with farmers, other organizations on and off campus, and brings visibility to all of the impactful actions that are happening within and beyond Ithaca. When considering the way that we have navigated these systemic changes to our system, regardless of our political support in it, reducing services like Anabel's is to reduce right of food, access to community, and a safe space for students.

As a student supervisor, I have interacted with so many students who rely on Anabel's Grocery and the support of CTA. As the only grocery option on campus, it's a vital service for students without a car. These students are often those with the least financial support, and their place at Cornell is just as valuable as those who can afford a meal plan or a car.

As a gluten- and dairy-free student (allergies), Anabel provides key food items that I cannot get at the Cornell Food Pantry. I am also a graduate student, so I am not on a meal plan. Anabel's Grocery provides students with financially accessible food that meets food allergies, restrictions, cultural needs, and preferences. In other words, Anabel's Grocery is critical for meeting the dimensions of food security on campus regarding food availability, access, utilization, stability, agency, and sustainability (FAO, 2024). For example, according to Bajaj et al. (2024), the average cost for a loaf of white bread in the US in August of 2023 was $1.70 per loaf. The average cost for a gluten-free loaf of bread in the US simultaneously was $5.70 per loaf. Gluten-free bread was, on average, 4.59 times more expensive than regular white bread. Having allergies and food restrictions takes a financial toll on students who have no option but to, e.g., buy a gluten-free loaf of bread at full price. Anabel's Grocery helps reduce this financial toll and increases food availability and access on campus. The Student Assembly MUST explore alternative funding sources for Anabel's Grocery if Cornell continues its decision to discontinue funding for the Center for Transformative Action. Cornell University's mission of "any person, any study" can only be upheld if the university provides food security that meets the needs of 'any student' who works and lives on this campus.

References
Bajaj P, Bajaj K, Kanaley M, & Gupta R. 2024. Differences in pricing for gluten-containing and gluten-free breads and pastas among five large US grocery chains. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 153(2). doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.11.657.

**FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. 2024. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 – Financing to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms. Rome.
** Food Security and its Dimensions are defined on pages 222 to 223.

As a Cornell student, I have witnessed firsthand the significant impact Anabel’s Grocery has had on students in need of accessible, affordable, and nutritious food. Many of my peers rely on Anabel’s, particularly those without cars or meal plans, to obtain fresh groceries without the financial strain of expensive alternatives. Anabel’s is more than a store—it is a vital resource fostering food security, sustainability, and student well-being.

Given the financial challenges Anabel’s now faces, the Student Assembly must actively explore alternative funding sources to sustain this essential service. Ensuring Anabel’s continued operation is not just about convenience; it’s about upholding Cornell’s commitment to equity and student support. I strongly urge the SA to prioritize securing long-term funding solutions for Anabel’s Grocery.

Annabel’s has been a great way to get inexpensive fresh food, and also a amazing and sweet community. It has been so wonderful to have it during my college experience, and they always sell interesting produce or food that is hard to get elsewhere without a car. There should be funding given to Annabel’s so it can stay open and keep the food cost low, and I am extremely upset at the fact that it may close.

I have gone to Anabel’s Grocery for all four years of undergrad, and I continue to go regularly for staple grocery items as a current Cornell staff member. Anabel’s is a truly special place - as a low-income first generation college student without a car, Anabel’s high quality seasonal produce from local farms at an affordable price on campus was a source of joy and wonder. The Student Assembly should definitely explore avenues for alternative funding sources for Anabel’s grocery!!

Anabel's is an indispensable part of campus. They make access to local and nutritious food possible. As a student on financial aid, I would have to spend a lot of time going to Aldi or Walmart for cheaper groceries, which still can't beat Anabel's prices. They have an amazing selection of food and condiments and the students run it extremely well. Time is money, and Anabel's has saved me and countless of my friends both.

I truly love going to Anabel's every week. It really reduces my stress to know that there's such a reliable source of affordable groceries on campus, especially produce. Since I don't have a car, it's not easy to go to a larger grocery store regularly, and many other options in collegetown are not affordable. I also really appreciate the effort that the staff puts into featuring local products and creating a calm, welcoming environment in the store.
If anything, this kind of program should be expanded, not shut down. Giving people access to healthy, affordable food is an unalloyed good. To say that this program does not align with the office of spirituality and meaning making is in my opinion very strange. There is little I can imagine that creates more meaning than feeding and taking care of one's own community.

To do away with a long-term project, built from the ground up by students to create accessible groceries, is a slap in the face to students experiencing food insecurity. What happened to "any person, any study?" When education as valuable as Cornell is on the table, food is often the last on the priority list. No one is asking for a handout, but don't deliberately make life harder for already struggling students. Do better.

Anabel's Grocery provides a vital service to Cornell's community. Many students face food insecurity on campus, and Anabel's offers a place for them to buy affordable, local, healthy food. As a student, I enjoyed the wonderful selection of affordable produce from local farms. Cornell is extremely lucky to have a place like Anabel's on campus. Anabel's enriches the Cornell community in so many ways - from offering students running the store learning experiences to connecting students with one another and the greater Ithaca community.

I implore the Student Assembly to explore avenues for alternative funding sources for Anabel's Grocery. The services provided by Anabel's, and CTA's other projects, enhance the lives of Cornell students, faculty, and staff on a daily basis. I know my Cornell experience would have been lacking without CTA. Their commitment to Cornell and the community is inspiring, and helps Cornellians, in the words of Ezra Cornell, "do the greatest good".

I know students who do not have consistent access to a car or fresh healthy food on this campus. Anabel's Grocery really meets a need we have on campus.

Please, the Student Assembly needs to explore avenues of potential alternative funding for this crucial resource.

Nourishing food is essential, especially in the life of students. Anabel's has provided me and my friends with affordable groceries. Furthermore, it's a community -- a space where Cornell students can support local food suppliers. Anabel's is a one-of-a-kind initiative that sets Cornell apart from other universities. In whatever way the Student Assembly can find funding for Anabel's, we should!

Not supporting Anabel's through funding is bizarre, it is such an important resource for students in general and I know it has personally made a positive impact.

The Free Food Fridge that Anabel's began in the fall of last year is just one of the many critical resources that Anabel's provides! As an e-board member of a club on campus, we often host events for the club at which we have food. Although people are offered to take leftover food with them at the end of the event, oftentimes food still went to waste. Now, with the Free Food Fridge, there is a space to share this food with those on campus who need it. Not only does this prevent food waste, it meets a great need in our Cornell community.

This is one of the few affordable grocery options for countless students at Cornell that also upholds quality. Please save this store!

As a regular customer at Anabel’s Grocery, I have directly benefited from its services. Anabel’s not only provides affordable, high-quality food, but it also prioritizes sustainable practices and supports local businesses — values that align with Cornell’s stated commitment to sustainability and community engagement. As a low-income student, having an accessible, affordable grocery option right on campus is incredibly important. Anabel’s helps address food insecurity while providing a convenient and welcoming place for students who may otherwise struggle to afford healthy groceries or find the time and transportation to shop off-campus.

Anabel’s Grocery plays a vital role in supporting student well-being, sustainability, and equity on campus. Ensuring its continued operation through alternative funding sources would demonstrate Cornell’s commitment to addressing food insecurity, supporting student-run initiatives, and upholding values of community support and environmental responsibility. I strongly urge the Student Assembly to fully explore and pursue every avenue to keep Anabel’s Grocery operating and accessible to students who rely on it.

Working at Anabel's has given me the opportunity to do work that actually matters in a time when going to lecture and taking exams feels totally irrelevant to the chaos of the real world. Anabel's is a space of joy and learning and care, and it's vital that we invest now more than ever in projects like these (and CTAs other programs) that cultivate community, power, and hope.
YES we absolutely must explore avenues for alternative funding

Anabel's provides critical access to affordable, quality food on campus, which is otherwise a food-desert for students not on meal plans. One of my roommates exclusively bought from Anabel's after their SNAP benefits ran out each month for almost 2 years.
1) AFFORDABILITY: Although there are dining halls and other eateries on campus, these average above $18 per meal (calculated by cost of meal plan / number of total meals), well-above the necessary amount of money to make a quality home meal.
2) DIVERSITY & QUALITY: Furthermore, Anabel's offers spices and other options that allow students to prepare dishes that connects them with their homes. A friend from Bangladesh taught me how to cook some of her favorite dishes from home, with many of the spices having been bought at Anabel's.
3) ACCESS TO FOOD: For students who do not have an on-campus meal plan, or a limited meal plan, access to quality food is critical to academic success at Cornell. Anabel's is the only on-campus grocer. Nearby options, such as Greenstar (expensive) or 7/11 (not quality!) are quite a ways further from campus and do not offer the healthy and affordable selection Anabel's does. Wegmans, Target, Aldi's, and other grocer options are FAR, requiring costly travel time, especially for students without personal vehicles.

The testimonials and petition circulating Cornell have made it clear that Anabel's has a strong impact on the Cornellians access to affordable, convenient, quality food options. It would be disheartening if Cornell did not find a way to prioritize funding a critical point of food access that benefits so many.

Many other commenters have already touched on how Anabel’s provides equitable access to safe and sustainable groceries for students who otherwise could not afford them or commute to grocery stores in Ithaca. What is also so important and valuable about Anabel’s is the access to fresh, local, and healthy produce, not otherwise available on campus or in dining halls. Anabel’s is giving Cornell students the opportunity to be healthier and live better lives as students, which directly correlates to academic success.

Anabel's Grocery has given me access to fresh good, eggs, nuts, and other healthy foods. And it has offered me social spaces to create community connections. It is a community and health loss to defund it.

Anabel's Grocery is a key part of the lives and nutrition of students on this campus, reducing carbon waste in traveling far for grocery stores, and reducing the barriers for students to eat healthy. Cornell owes it to Anabel's after 53 years of funding to find an avenue for funding elsewhere.

Anabel's provides critical access to affordable, quality food on campus, which is otherwise a food-desert for students not on meal plans. One of my roommates exclusively bought from Anabel's after their SNAP benefits ran out each month for almost 2 years.
1) AFFORDABILITY: Although there are dining halls and other eateries on campus, these average above $18 per meal (calculated by cost of meal plan / number of total meals), well-above the necessary amount of money to make a quality home meal.
2) DIVERSITY & QUALITY: Furthermore, Anabel's offers spices and other options that allow students to prepare dishes that connects them with their homes. A friend from Bangladesh taught me how to cook some of her favorite dishes from home, with many of the spices having been bought at Anabel's.
3) ACCESS TO FOOD: For students who do not have an on-campus meal plan, or a limited meal plan, access to quality food is critical to academic success at Cornell. Anabel's is the only on-campus grocer. Nearby options, such as Greenstar (expensive) or 7/11 (not quality!) are quite a ways further from campus and do not offer the healthy and affordable selection Anabel's does. Wegmans, Target, Aldi's, and other grocer options are FAR, requiring costly travel time, especially for students without personal vehicles.

The testimonials and petition circulating Cornell have made it clear that Anabel's has a strong impact on the Cornellians access to affordable, convenient, quality food options. It would be disheartening if Cornell did not find a way to prioritize funding a critical point of food access that benefits so many.

Anabel’s Grocery is the only reason it is possible for me to get affordable quality groceries as an off-campus upperclassman, and I know that this is the case for the majority of off-campus students as well. Without a car, it is difficult for me to go to Wegman’s or Walmart without hitching a ride from a friend whenever they can (and not very often). Greenstar charges an unaffordable premium almost double the prices outside of Collegetown, which is mind boggling. 7/11 regularly sells expired product for an even higher price. Only Anabel’s has been filling that crucial gap in access. Cornell, please continue to protect your students who live off campus, which comprises a sizable chunk of the student population.

Anabels is an incredible resource for ALL students. As a graduate student who does not earn a living stipend in Ithaca, Anabel's has helped me fill my fridge with affordable and nutritious groceries for my wife and I. The students who curate the space and ensure variety are doing a good job in ensuring that everyone in the community is well taken care off and they are amazing in what they do.

After hearing the amount of money they need to sustain, I was honestly surprised! The cost to benefit that Anabel's provide to the community is huge and it is easy to justify.

I hope Cornell is able to side with the common good and not just to their pockets. A healthy diet would lead to better productivity in class and in work which I truly believe is a benefit to all.

Anabel’s Grocery is an invaluable resource for students who aren’t on the meal plan and are living off campus, especially if these students are low-income and need accessible food. Anabel’s Grocery is not only affordable, but is also a sustainable source of food for our students. By cutting the funding for this resource, students who don’t have access to a car or transportation will have a much harder time getting food to their table. I would venture to say by cutting the funding to Anabel’s Grocery, Cornell would be robbing swathes of its students of their basic necessities. I am a huge proponent of sourcing our foods from locally grown produce, so it’s disappointing to hear the prospect of Anabel’s being shut down when it’s benefitted our community so much.

Anabel's is an essential part of my access to healthy and affordable food! Please allocate resources for Anabel's to continue supporting many students across campus.

I have been greatly impacted by Anabel's as it provides affordable fresh groceries which is very hard to acquire nearby campus.
Please explore alternative funding sources for Anabel's as it is a crucial part of our lives and diets!

This grocery store is such an important part of many student's meals as it keeps affordable options open to the student body and even to faculty and staff. Stopping funding would have a monumental impact on the entire student body. The affordable options (compared to the steep prices in collegetown) and the warm community is what makes this store so memorable. Please, find the funding necessary as so many people rely on this option for food on a daily basis.

Anabel's is one of the few resources that makes this university accessible to low-income students and students that struggle with food insecurity. I myself have often been excited to find reasonably priced, high quality produce and pantry staples that I can buy without needing access to transportation.

There is a class war underway in this country and it is going to continuously be more difficult to access resources, especially for those who make less than a living wage- a demographic that includes graduate students as well as so many of the staff who provide the services that allow Cornell to function every day. Now is the time to be increasing mutual aid, including access to resources for the food insecure. This is a historical moment, Cornell, and the choices we make now will be remembered. Do not align yourself with the wrong side of history.

Anabel's was one of the first resources and spaces I was introduced to when I first came to Ithaca and Cornell. Outside of offering affordable, accessible, and fresh groceries to students, Anabel's various community events and partnerships with local farms and vendors made me feel more welcome as someone who just moved to Ithaca and often felt isolated. It would be a detriment to the campus and local community, and future students, if Anabel's is no longer able to continue running at the same (if not expanded) capacity.

Cornell is only as good as its composite parts, and Annabel’s and the CTA are one of the best encapsulations of the community that Cornell fosters. I have personally increased my access to fresh foods and vegetables through Annabel’s and feel proud to be a Cornellian when I go to the alternative library. The Student Assembly must help fund the CTA or risk losing an integral aspect of Cornell’s cultural backbone.

Anabel Grocery has been fundamental in providing access to healthy and nutritious food at a low cost to all students, especially those who come from low-income backgrounds. Hindering students' access to nutritious and healthy foods is unacceptable and should be reconsidered.

Annabel’s grocery is a reflection of how driven and supportive the cornell community is, and its loss would affect students who are most in need and put a stain on cornell’s legacy. Please find alternative funding for this establishment!!

Cornell has had severe problems with meeting the food needs of its students. College students are one of the most vulnerable demographics in regard to food insecurity, and Cornell is no exception. While the university itself has been unable to begin rectifying this problem, Anabel's has. So many students here-- especially those who have to live off campus due to Cornell's current inability to meet student housing needs--rely on Anabel's to get healthy and affordable food. Anabel's is a critical piece of campus infrastructure for students, and putting them in a situation of financial precarity puts US in precarity.

Furthermore, Anabel's is a vastly unique and critical part of the Cornell experience educationally. As a student in a business organization on campus, I have seen how Anabel's tangibly provides a way to envision business ethics; it teaches so many Dyson students every year information they don't have the opportunity to learn in the classroom. It shows how it is truly possible to create business ventures that support people: something that the typical business education can make seem impossible. Anabel's has also fostered important relationships between students and fosters communications that are important in invisioning a future in food systems and business ethics. Without Anabel's, so many campus conversations would be missing and the education gained from it's existance would cease to exist.

I want to close by emphasizing Cornell's land grant status. We continue to profit off of the land we got through the Morrill Act, and the only justification for that act was the promise that these universities would give back to their communities, specifically in agricultural settings. Anabel's is one of the few tangible connection programs we have on campus that diractly brings local agriculture to students on campus, supporting the farmers and food producers in our community and bridging the consumer gap. Getting rid of the funding for Anabel's isn't just harmful for students wellness and education, it also goes against the whole purpose of our university.

Anabel’s is an essential space for the students at Cornell. As an undergrad without access to a car, Anabel’s was the only place I could get easily accessible affordable and healthy groceries. With a large majority of upperclassmen living off campus and cooking for themselves, access to this local produce is amazing. They also support so many local brands and farms, thus giving back to the community.

Anabel’s also brought so much joy to myself and my friends. I discovered so many new products and recipes that I would have never thought to use or cook without this grocery. Now as a graduate student at a different university I can appreciate how unique Anabel’s existence is; it is a testament to the strengths and diversity of Cornell and its academic offerings.

I strongly believe that cutting funding from Anabel’s and the CTA is against the best interest of the students at Cornell.

Cornell University should act according to the well-being of the students. It is unmistakable that Anabel's is crucial in the lives of myself, and a large percentage of your undergraduate students. When I give campus tours, Anabel's grocery is one of my favorite organizations to point out, and prospective students and family love and comment on the value of the grocery.

Anabel's needs to stay alive, for the sake of the students. It is disappointing to not have administrative support for our own well-being, which inherently ties us to this place and our education. Let us keep Anabel's and find alternative funding.

The Student Assembly and Cornell Administration must absolutely prioritize the funding of Anabel’s grocery. For students who live off campus and do not have meal plans, Anabel’s is one of the only easily available, affordable, SNAP-eligible grocery options available near campus. If students cannot access a car, traveling to other grocery stores is difficult and time consuming, especially since Cornell does not provide free bus passes to all its students. This is a matter of food justice; we must ensure that first-gen and low income students do not go hungry and have their academics and personal wellbeing impacted by a lack of access to basic needs.

It would be a grave mistake for Cornell admin to stop funding Anabel's. This is one of the best resources on campus, for students and community members alike. As we head into an even more uncertain economic future, Anabel's will prove essential in combating food insecurity for students on campus and in the community. It is more than a grocery store, it leads by example, educating our community about nutrition, supporting local farmers and businesses, and engages students in direct service to Ithaca. Please keep Anabel's; it is a rich community resource and a worthwhile investment in Cornell's future. These are the sorts of examples we ought to set.

Anabel's has been such an impactful part of my undergraduate experience, providing local, fresh, organic, and affordable food options. Additionally, it has an accessible location on campus, close to classes and near collegetown, making it all the more convenient. The educational aspects that it provides are so valuable, promoting sustainability, shopping local, and teaching students about small business. Anabel's is one of Cornell's gems. Save it!!!

I now shop every week at Anabel's Grocery, and it has been the only place in Ithaca that has the groceries I need to make Lebanese food (my ethnic background). It also has a plethora of dairy-free, pescatarian, and bulk goods, which are essential for me as I have a dairy allergy and need to be mindful of my diet because of chronic health conditions. I also don't have a car and have a disability, which makes accessing off-campus grocery stores extremely difficult. Anabel's is accessible, affordable, and climate-friendly. The Student Assembly should absolutely pursue sources of funding to keep Anabel's Grocery alive.

Anabel’s Grocery has provided immense amount of support for food unstable students and offer an incredible way for reduction of food waste. This is a central part of food equity for anyone struggling to be fed, and its dissolution will be felt not only through the Cornell community, but also with great disdain for the current administration.

When I enrolled in the Anabel’s course in fall of my sophomore year, I was immediately struck by the store’s emphasis on doing differently. Surrounded by students who are driven to innovate a socially-just and environmentally-sound food system, I quickly discovered a passion for connecting people to the source of their food and directly tackling food insecurity on campus. Realizing that local-level change is indeed possible, I felt fulfilled in being able to further an initiative that remains so deeply loved by every customer (and vendor!) I meet. Today, as a second-semester junior and returning volunteer at the store, I continue to tell everyone about Anabel’s — the place where I first found community at Cornell, and the place that makes me most proud to be a student here.

However, I’d be remiss not to mention how grateful I am for CTA as well. While serving as Purchasing Coordinator for a year at Anabel's, I remained in frequent contact with CTA’s INCREDIBLE staff, who assisted our team with our bookkeeping and other fiduciary work that would have been difficult and time-consuming for us as students to do ourselves. In the process, I also became more aware of CTA’s far-reaching impact on Cornellians and on the Ithaca community at large: Organizations like Fallen Tree and the Ultimate Reentry Opportunity Initiative, while perhaps lesser known by most students than Anabel’s, exemplify the community-engaged learning that Cornell has long celebrated. My fellow agricultural-focused classmates and friends have attended webinars hosted by the North American Food Systems Network, paid many visits to EcoVillage, and volunteered their time at Open Doors English…and we ALL always admire the Ithaca Murals creations that bring a pop of color and charisma to the Commons.

I’m disheartened by SCL’s decision to terminate its affiliation agreement with CTA, especially given CTA's unwavering commitment to social and environmental justice on Cornell’s campus and beyond. I feel incredibly fortunate to be a small part of the transformative change that CTA embodies and that is so needed right now. I remain hopeful that in the future both Anabel’s and CTA as a whole will continue to bring many more students the same sense of belonging that they have brought me.

Anabel’s has really helped me save both money and time in grocery shopping. It is much cheaper than the collegetown stores, and includes products from stores in downtown that are hard to get to without a car. I also love the warm and friendly community here, and met so many wonderful people throughout the past two years I have been involved!

I spent many a days at Anabel’s shopping for affordable food that I could guarantee was sourced locally and ethically! The students who run this store are doing amazing work and helping students learn to be food independent! Anabel’s is a place where ANY STUDENT can go and learn recipes, find affordable food, and support local farmers! Getting rid of Anabel’s sets a precedence that affordable and ethical food is not important to Cornell, and it suggests that Cornell does not support food security! Please don’t stop supporting the students that help so many students with finding healthy food sources! This is a mistake! Anabel’s is one of my fondest memories and I miss having access to something like Anabel’s now that I am no longer at Cornell.

The store provides me with speciality items like spices or dietary restriction approved foods that I can’t find elsewhere.

Annabel's is crucial for ensuring that low-income students have accessible, healthy food on campus. Without Annabel's, Cornell loses a crucial community that helps keep students healthy. Without Annabel's, students will go hungry and forgo other basic needs. Cornell needs to prioritize student health and well-being.

Anabel’s is great. I’m a senior undergraduate now, and I live off campus, but without a car. Anabel’s gives me a good place to get some veggies that don’t cost an arm and a leg, or require walking/bussing to Walmart across town. Plus, we’re one of the most prominent plant science institutions in the world. Anabel’s sells produce from our student farm, some of our student clubs, and even our apple orchard. There are some really nice, new-to-me apple varieties that have become my favorites that we grow right here! Cornell has a lot to be proud of, and Anabel’s celebrates that. Please consider finding a way to keep them around.

Keep Anabel's! This is such an important establishment on campus to support low-income students.

Anabel‘s grocery store is a community staple. The store has provided me with affordable fresh produce, something very difficult to obtain at a reasonable price. As a student, my peers, and I value accessibility of supermarket shopping on campus with ease. The workers are the kindest people at Anabel‘s! This store deserves to be saved.

Anabel's is a vital source of healthy and affordable groceries for me, and also provides an invaluable service as a learning space. By making goods from local suppliers affordable and accessible, anyone shopping at Anabel's can learn about and support the farms and small businesses within/nearby Ithaca. I volunteer with Dilmun Hill student farm, one of the growers Anabel's sources produce from. I've spoken with many other volunteers at the farm who have learned about Dilmun as a result of shopping at Anabel's. Helping to harvest produce and seeing it sold in Anabel's gives students direct experience with local agrifood systems. For this reason, Anabel's is so much more than a grocery store - it's a teaching tool for Cornell students, and an important way to support local growers and small businesses. To preserve this unique space, the SA must explore alternative funding solutions for Anabel's.

It is a great resource for students without time or resources to go to grocery stores that are downtown and also provides healthy options for students at an affordable cost. It is important to keep this staple at Cornell.

I grew up in 4-H and FFA, where community service, especially through the means of ensuring food security, was a pillar to the programs’ mission. For me, working to ensure food security in my local, rural community fostered into an unrealized sense of self. It was not until I decided to take the Anabel’s Grocery course to fulfill my Diversity distribution requirement in CALS that I was able to find a program that actively worked to tackle food insecurity on campus. During first day of class, I realized a component of myself was missing during my 2 1/2 years at Cornell. I had yet to be involved in a program that tackled the hardships of the Ithaca & Cornell community, and I had yet to be involved in a project that did not pertain to personal resume growth. After 5 semesters, I finally found the program that gave me a sense of belonging, reminded me of my 4-H and FFA roots, and fulfilled longing I felt in wanting participate in a project larger than myself. It would be disheartening if I were no longer able to work with the program after this semester and contribute to a project I fully believe in and enjoy.
Furthermore, I will be moving to Collegetown for my senior year, and I will no longer be on a Cornell meal plan, as the additional cost of (even the cheapest) meal plan will be too expensive for me. I looked forward to being able to purchase subsidized groceries on campus and make culturally diverse meals. Now, I fear I will no longer have this option.
Additionally, the Anabel’s course has taught me the importance of buying local foods and distributing the money in our pockets within our community and small businesses, rather than exploitative agricultural corporations. Cornell preaches sustainability to its students and boasts about its equity efforts, but the decision to revoke CTA’s endowment without an alternative source proves otherwise. Does the Division of Student & Campus Life truly believe none of the CTA’s projects create a sense of meaning in one’s life?
I hope the Student Assembly moves forward to find alternative funding for the program so that other students can experience its positive impact, just as I have.

Anabel's grocery is a vital aspect of my life here at Cornell. With food prices on the rise for my entire duration of college, the TCAT getting budget and consequential route cuts, and undable to afford Cornell dining's expsensive meal plan, Anabels provides me with an reliable and affordable food source. I buy most of my groceries at Anabels now; their healthy and afforadable options along with the abundance of local goods they sell allows me to have greater autonomy over where my money goes and my own health. As food and transportation prices rise, students will benefit more than ever from having a local, affordable, and acessible food source such as Anabel's. The interest and customer base is only increasing, and for Cornell to cut CTA funding as Anabel's continues to grow is a grave mistake. Anabel's and the organizations under CTA funding are a vital part of Cornell and help provide students opportunities "to do the greatest good".

Additionally, I volunteer periodically with Dilmun Hill, Cornell's student run farm, that sells a large portion of their produce through Anabel's. Dilmun is another staple of my food source here in Ithaca, provides a supportive and welcoming community to students and those interested in learning about local, sustainable agriculture. Without Anabel's as a outlet for Dilmun produce, I worry about the future outcome and sustainability of operating Dilmun Hill.

I, along with many others, implore Cornell to reconsider its decision to revoke CTA funding as well as SA search for alternative funding sources.

As a student with a severe eating disorder and significant mobility issues, the dining halls are unsafe for me to eat, and I cannot easily access a grocery store. Anabel’s provides me the access I need to my safe foods. It’s not just a convenience. It’s a necessity—especially for those of us with health struggles.

As a Cornell student, I’ve seen firsthand how Anabel’s Grocery fills a critical gap on campus. It’s more than just a store -- it’s a lifeline for students struggling with food insecurity, a hub for community engagement, and a model of sustainable, student-led initiative.

Losing Anabel’s would mean losing access to fresh, affordable food for many students who rely on it. The Student Assembly must prioritize finding alternative funding solutions to keep this essential resource running. Investing in Anabel’s is investing in student well-being. Let’s not let this vital service disappear.

I know people who really value and appreciate what Anabel's provides for them and letting it close would be a huge blow. The student assembly needs to show up for the people who need Anabel's.

The combination of on-campus living requirements, exorbinant parking/car maintainance costs, and limited bus pass/reliable public transit in Ithaca makes it difficult to get off campus for anything, much less spend the time grocery shopping. Anabel's has been the perfect solution, and defunding it would be to the detriment of thousands of Cornell students, especially those with greater financial burdens.

Anabel’s Grocery has always been about fostering community and providing nutritious foods to the student community at Cornell. This mission is evident through the various programs, collaborations, and partnerships they’ve nurtured over the years. To see it go would be a tremendous loss to our community. Save Anabel’s Grocery!!

Anabel's Grocery serves a critical purpose on campus as an accessible, low-cost option for produce and local organic products. As a student without a car, shopping there approximately once a week is the main way I get my supplemental food on campus as bussing up to Target or Walmart is inaccessible to me with my busy student schedule. Without Anabel's, I would have a much harder time obtaining fresh produce, and the food being such low cost has allowed me to experiment with different recipes and foods in a way that has significantly improved my relationship with eating and diet The Student Assembly should definitely explore alternate avenues for funding to keep Anabel's open! They're a beloved service to the student body & a big part of why I know about other services that OSMM offers as well: by visiting Anabel's often, I've been able to engage more with the department's programs in a way that has deeply enriched my Cornell experience.

Support Anabel's Grocery! It's an amazing initiative and one of the reasons I'm most proud to be a Cornellian.

Anabel’s is one of the best parts of Cornell. It offers student who may be struggling financially access to affordable, healthy groceries. Please keep Anabel’s around.

Cornell spends incredible amounts of money on amazing athletics, stunning facilities, and incredible professors in keeping the life of scholarly study and innovation alive. But what does any of it mean if its students and community can’t have their basic food needs met. Annabel’s is the best use of money Cornell could use in ensuring an equitable, sustainable, and healthy community on campus, and defunding it will take away a vital recourse and directly contribute to further food insecurity. This defunding wont effect the most privileged in the community, but it will be devastating to the community of passionate individuals involved in the store and all those in the community it uplifts. It would signal unfriendliness to sustainability and equity that no words on a website could undo.

I know many people who work at Annabel’s as well as many who use Annabel’s to do their shopping and have made me very delicious food with Annabel’s produce. Annabel’s is an important part of the Cornell community and should be continued to be funded.

Please find new funding for Anabel's! It doesn't make sense that Cornell would cut off funding to such an essential community resource. The money is vital to Anabel's and seems like it can't be that much for Cornell, even with budget cuts and the like.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE KEEP ANABEL'S OPEN. IT'S WORTH THE EFFORT TO MANTAIN AND IT BENEFITS SO MUCH OF THE STUDENT POPULATION.
- It's accessible!
- Cheap, nowhere else in Ithaca would students be able to get carrots, or olive oil so well.
- Great source of natural quality food on campus (something that we lack in central).
- Gives students a job and an opportunity to practice their business skills and what running a business looks like.

As a volunteer, customer, and former Inventory Manager, words cannot express how much Anabel's Grocery has meant to me during my time at Cornell. Between interacting with my coworkers, the lovely vendors who deliver our Wide Awake Bread, eggs, and flower bouquets, and all of you, our wonderful customers, Anabel's is more than just a store: it is a microcosm of the Ithaca community. It is also one of the only grocery stores near campus that offers organic, local, and affordable products.

Cornell Student Life's decision to defund CTA will be devastating to all students, particularly those who are low-income. Yet, Anabel's is not the only organization that will be impacted by this decision. CTA also funds 60+ sister organizations that do incredible work in Tompkins County, including Prisoner's Express, Ultimate Re-Entry Opportunity, Gayogoho:no Learning Project, and Tompkins Food Future. Defunding CTA means defunding projects that benefit Indigenous communities, formerly-incarcerated folks, those facing food insecurity, and more.

I strongly urge the Student Assembly to explore alternative funding opportunities for Anabel's Grocery so we can continue to provide essential resources and spread joy to the Cornell community and beyond.

Anabel’s Grocery is the only reason it is possible for me to get affordable quality groceries as an off-campus upperclassman, and I know that this is the case for the majority of off-campus students as well. Without a car, it is difficult for me to go to Wegman’s or Walmart without hitching a ride from a friend whenever they can (and not very often). Greenstar charges an unaffordable premium almost double the prices outside of Collegetown, which is mind boggling. 7/11 regularly sells expired product for an even higher price. Only Anabel’s has been filling that crucial gap in access. Cornell, please continue to protect your students who live off campus, which comprises a sizable chunk of the student population.

I love having Anabel's Grocery on campus. It offers affordable, real food from local companies that I don't need to take a bus to get to. Cutting funding to Anabel's will make my life, and many other student's lives, that much worse as we struggle to find a replacement for the fresh food Anabel's provided.

There are options and it’s affordable for Cornell students.

If BRBS are allowed, then more students will consider this and make it financially feasible for continuing ops.
Additionally, it will put the existing RPCC and Noyes to lower their own prices. Greater competition = better market.

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One of my closest friends works at Anabel’s and I know many people who have bought fresh produce from them at affordable prices. Please keep it open!

I am a first generation student, although I have a partial scholarship it is not enough to cover my living expenses. Anabel’s Grocery is an amazing alternative for me because it is in the campus and the prices are affordable.

As a student who lives on North Campus without a car or a meal plan, Anabel’s Grocery is the only grocery store accessible to me. I will go hungry without it. I went there today, as I do every Wednesday. Please preserve Anabel’s Grocery, it is essential to the wellbeing of many Cornell students like me.

Keep Anabel's!

Anabel's is the prime way many friends and I can access whole and healthy foods. Removing this operation and presence on campus would be a loss to all.

This store has been a lifesaver for groceries and a source of comfort, right on campus for many students like me. Please save it!

I have proposed and worked with Cornell admin in various departments on significant initiatives over the past three years — Cornell Dining sustainability (which President Kotlikoff even gave me a shoutout for in the State of the University Address), campus energy reduction, uplifting events, and so much more. I am very passionate about initiatives that will directly improve Cornell and the student experience, and rightfully so, because I truly believe that a better Cornell means a better world. My philosophy when working with admin is to always try to consider their perspective when I am pushing for a change. It helps me better understand why decisions are being made, why our priorities might not align, and ultimately helps me think of new ideas in a way that is beneficial to everyone.

In this case, however, I truly just do not understand Cornell's thinking behind this decision to cut funding for CTA after 50+ years. I assume it must have to do with federal budget cuts, and I understand that it's a big issue for Cornell. However, I think Cornell is making a huge mistake letting CTA be the first to go. It is one of the few remaining initiatives on campus that has the simple goal of doing good. Cornell just does not understand the huge role CTA and especially Anabel's Grocery plays in the community. CTA exists to provide the legal and fiduciary work that is the backbone of its 30+ non-profits, and without this funding, Cornell is essentially asking the few employees of CTA to do free labor for these initiatives that impact so many students or shut down. It's just silly. I can't imagine $114K/yr being that much of a financial strain for Cornell...that's not too far off from the revenue it generates from one or two students enrolling each year.

So, to answer the questions in this Resolution:

Yes, Anabel's certainly impacts me as someone who not just shops there but also volunteers there. I've volunteered there during the past few semesters and it's truly been such an incredible experience for me. I've really learned so much about our food system and how to operate a grocery store. I've learned a lot through making technical improvements to the store POS and operations, which is only possible through Anabel's learning-lab experience. It's also been super fun!

Not only that, but volunteering there during the busiest shifts has opened my eyes to the wide variety of Cornellians that we serve. I think there is a very big misconception amongst the admin that Anabel's is just "redundant" to the food pantry. This could not be any more incorrect. While low-income students do frequently shop at Anabel's due to SNAP benefits and our low prices, we serve all income levels and all types of undergraduate, grad, faculty, and staff. We are a social entrepreneurship organization at our core, and we exist because we want to provide fresh, nutritious, and affordable food to all who want it. Many people come here simply because they don't have a car and don't have time to sit on multiple buses to go to Wegman's while balancing working multiple jobs or taking an intense academic load. Taking away this resource would deprive so many students of this gem on campus.

Now, Cornell also makes the argument that they're not taking away Anabel's. Yes, it's true. However, cutting funding to CTA but saying Anabel's can stay is akin to planning to destroy a building's foundation but not the building itself. A building cannot survive without a foundation; neither can Anabel's. It's hard enough to operate a grocery store that serves up to 600 customers in half a week, but we do it because we love it. Without CTA as a backbone, we simply cannot continue to operate Anabel's both legally and practically.

So, I urge Cornell to really sit back and reconsider its decision. Think of the ripple effects this will cause. Cornell is probably stalling with hopes that this will fizzle out after a year, but after interacting over a thousand customers over the past few semesters, I can assure you that this will not be something that people will forget about. I also urge the SA to try to figure out alternative funding sources for CTA should Cornell continue to uphold its decision.

Anabel’s is a community staple that has brought joy and opportunity to many students, myself included. The ability to have accessible, nutritious, and high quality foodstuffs is one that improves the health, mental wellbeing, financial situation, and sense of belonging for all students. To remove funding is nothin short of a cruel act against the student population, and one that I vehemently oppose.

Many people struggle to obtain clean food, especially if they do not have a means of transportation. Anabel’s promotes social equity and it’s been amazing to see community members help one and another, through free food donations and more.

I strongly implore the exploration of alternative funding opportunities