When I moved to Ithaca, someone I care about dearly introduced me to Anabel's, and it makes me feel connected and grounded and like I belong each time I enter the space. Having places that help you feel calm, where you can get fresh tofu and produce, is part of what keeps me sane. I have a lot of font memories from easier times. Please I hope Anabel's finds the funding necessary. It has meant a lot to me.

I could not imagine my upperclassmen experience without annabels. It has made me so much less afraid about cooking and the uncertainty that comes with not knowing what groceries to get or where they come from. The community that has been built is one like no other and I am so grateful to be able to experience it. I really hope that other people are also able to experience this thing that is such a pivotal thing to my cornell society.

i love shopping at anabels! have gotten all kinds of great and fun vegetables, extremely conveniently and at great prices

During her time at Cornell, our daughter was heavily involved in volunteering and raising money for Anabel's. Having heard a number of stories about the positive impact that Anabel's had for the Cornell community, it breaks my heart that Cornell is no longer supporting a terrific initiative!

Anabel's Grocery has allowed my daughter to put into practice entrepreneurship skills right on campus, and additionally delivering to students fresh food at accessible prices. All together it is a incredible initiative that only benefits students.

Anabel’s has been my favorite spot to get fresh goods throughout my time at Cornell. The staff is friendly, prices are great, and variety and supply of goods is helpful. Anabel’s is one of the best initiatives I’ve seen throughout my time here and it would be a shame if it closed and future students did not have the opportunity to enjoy it as I have.

This is a beautiful community of people who always bring a smile to my face when I go in. I don’t have a car and rely on rides or the tcat to get to grocery stores. Having access to such high quality local produce right on campus is completely game changing. I go every week. Anabels has made it feasible/affordable to cook healthy. For anyone who genuinely cares about student well being, it should be a no brainer to keep it open.

Amazing groceries and super fresh!

Annabel's is a place of community, connection, and guaranteed good food. I have fond memories of travelling there with friends and finding good healthy food to eat when we were running low on cash.

This isn’t something that has impacted me specifically, but I think it’s disheartening to see Cornell take funding away from something that’s so impactful to the Ithaca community. Affordable food and food insecurity are big issues in Ithaca and Anabel’s Grocery has been a tremendous help towards that, so we should be working to protect it and the people it helps not getting rid of it.

Anabel Grocery is a vital part of Ithaca's and Cornell's broader community. Without Anabel Grocery, Ithaca local community members wouldn't be able to access affordable food and this can cause issues with housing, etc. As part of Cornell's commitment, we should be responsible to uphold these responsibilities and ensure that we continue to support Anabel's Grocery.

Anabel’s grocery has been such an important project for the cornell community and it is unfortunate to see that Cornell is standing’s on its promise to support social justice. Overall, i think it’s unfortunate that we will be losing a large part of the community due to this.

When I lived in Ithaca Campus, one of my favorite things to do was to visit Anabel's grocery store. They provide the most fresh and affordable supplies and ingredients for my meals. I cannot believe that if school make any decision close this lovely place. I hope school can make a wise decision and find any solution to resolve any funding issues.

I love the organic food and supplies at Annabel, especially brussel sprouts

Anabel's Grocery is a staple of Cornell, providing so much opportunity and resource. Getting rid of it means getting rid of part of Cornell's heart and what makes student life uniquely Cornellian.

Anabel’s Grocery is an incredibly vital, rare, and unique service and project that Cornell is lucky to have. Considering the sparse options for grocery store food items for students living on campus, this store has been a lifeline. There is no other place that offers fresh, locally sourced food, and it would be a huge mistake and a huge loss for the university to no longer have Anabel’s on campus. Please support this amazing grocery store and this special initiative.

As a low income student, living off campus, on full financial aid, Anabel’s is the only way I can afford to have well balanced meals with the financial aid I am on.

I have many colleagues that rely on this resource on a weekly basis to stay nourished. Removing it entirely would uproot their food security.

Anabel's is such a good source for groceries and I think the work it does to promote sustainability is extremely important on Cornell's campus.

Anabel's is my happy place! It is difficult to find cheap and fresh food in Ithaca. As a graduate student on a very tight stipend, but committed to buying local, Anabel's has been a lifesaver. Understanding where our food comes from is so important for critically thinking about the world today. Anabel's sources food from local farms. It is important to the community, and is also important for educational purposes for students. To undermine Anabel's, and other CTA projects, is detrimental not only to the Cornell students but the Ithaca community. It is a very difficult time for students. The administration of Cornell University needs to put their money where their mouth is, and have a heart.

This store has created a space where I can access high quality food that can be very difficult to find nearby!!!

It has given me access to fresh good, eggs, nuts, and other healthy foods. And it has offered me social spaces to create community connections.

I'm an alumna from 1995, and although I have never been to Anabel's, from reading about it I see that it exemplifies so many values that I believe in and would like to see continue at Cornell. I love the way it provides access to healthy and organic food, how it helps get food to food-insecure students, how it is nonprofit, and how the store is integrated into actual courses at Cornell to provide students with valuable real world experience. It seems to be a thriving part of Cornell, and so useful to so many students, so it would be a real shame if its funding were to be taken away and it were to close.

I took the Anabels class and loved it, it taught me about social justice and sustainable eating. I rely on Anabels for my groceries too.

I go to anabels all the time for groceries. Please don’t take it away!

I love Annabel’s! My roomate works at there, and we really depend on the affordable produce and bulk goods.

Very affordable and high quality grocery!

Anabel’s was an incredibly important space during my time at Cornell, offering both a solution to food insecurity and a unique, collaborative space for students to work on complex problems ranging from supply chains to digital marketing. To lose Anabel’s Grocery would represent a great loss to the Cornell community.

I have been shopping at Anabel's since I found out about it at the beginning of last year. Many of my good friends have taken the class since then, and I have witnessed it change their lives and enrich their worldviews. They are people who take action and are trying to make change toward a more just world. Four semesters later, I am now taking the Anabel's class because I have realized how incredible their impact has been on the Cornell community (including its offshoot projects like the Free Food Fridge Coalition!), and on myself to become a person who embodies these same values. I am loving the class and learning so much about how the global, national, regional, and local food system was created and who it serves/hurts. I could see myself engaging in similar social entrepreneurship in the future as part of my career, and will definitely be working in the food system sector. Thank you, Anabel's!

Amazing affordable healthy options for students.

Annabel’s has made my life better!!!!

Anabels is plays such a pivotal role in the community to give access to affordable groceries to the Cornell community and the greater Ithaca community. Losing it would be a blow not just to the community but to the institutional values Cornell has fostered in its history.

Anabel’s is my #1 place to get affordable, fresh produce as well as baked goods and snacks on campus. It’s also been a huge help for my friends who don’t have cars or the budget to spend a ton on groceries but still want to eat healthy. The convenience and pricing is unmatched at Anabel’s, and it would be an incredible loss if it had to close down.

My daughter, who is currently a sophomore, has told me that Anabel's is one of the best things Cornell offers for students and how it benefits the community. She will be living off campus next year and was counting on Anabel's for her groceries and produce.

Anabel's gives me easy access to fresh produce!

Open Doors English has enriched our community far beyond the financial costs of the program. It has supported the diversity and internationality of both Ithaca and Cornell. Our community is more interesting, more beautiful and more financially stable with Open Doors English helping to keep our diversity in tact.

Anabel’s (and CTA on the whole) is a great asset to Cornell’s community. So many students, staff, faculty, and community members rely on the vital services provided by Anabel’s Grocery. It would be a shame for Anabel’s to have to shut their doors, and lose the community created through CTA programs. It would be a stain on the legacy of the university.

Great place to get food, especially as someone who doesn't have a car.

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. This 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.

It's very nice to have a little store on campus to pick up food essentials around a busy schedule

CTA serves an extremely important purpose at Cornell, and I have friends and colleagues close to me who have been supported by CTA's services to help critical social and health causes. I know people who depend on Anabel’s Grocery for affordable food, and losing this service would be very damaging.

This grocery has important far reaching impacts that are enormously positive for our community. Cornell should continue to support Anabel's, particularly during this time of uncertainty for so many Cornellians.

I work at GreenStar Market, which proudly supports Anabel's Grocery with food donations and wholesale pricing. We recognize its good work, both philosophical and practical, made possible by CTA. In turn, support of CTA should be a point of pride for Cornell as an institution dedicated to high purpose. It seems ironic that Cornell would cut the budget for CTA at the same time it is fighting budget cuts from the National Institutes of Health under the Trump administration that would imperil vital university programs. May Cornell be the good it wishes to see.

As Co-Director of a NAFSN, a CTA Project, I deeply understand, value, and rely on the quality of service that CTA provides on a daily basis. Having explored many different options for fiscal sponsorship throughout the US, CTA stands out not only in professionalism but also - and more importantly - in its moral and ethical approach to this work. They have NEVER exploited nor watered down their high standards for serving projects intent on social justice reform and transformative action. The application to be a CTA project was one of the most rigorous I have ever been a part of BECAUSE of its unwavering emphasis on real social change with measurable impact through participatory action. I talk everyday with leaders of social justice organizations that are working to improve America’s food/ag sectors for the benefit of their communities' residents. These leaders work diligently to support those most marginalized by our conventional food systems: rural residents, immigrant farmworkers, the working poor who lack the means to feed their families healthy foods; financially vulnerable farmers. Often the topic of fiscal sponsors comes up, as many are frustrated that their own fiscal sponsors aren’t aligned with the values and/or practices that social justice reform for food security requires. Others simply can’t find a fiscal sponsor because they don’t meet the high bar for revenue that so many require (a bar nearly impossible for start-up food and agricultural labor justice organizations to reach.) When I tell them about our experience with CTA and our deep gratitude for their approach, I get the same answer every time: “There needs to be a CTA in every state in the country.” Cornell is missing the mark by cutting CTA from funding. There is a viable, unique opportunity here for Cornell to center, celebrate and expand CTA as a national model that effectively and ethically bridges the age-old gap between higher ed and the rest of the community in which it operates. As a person whose spiritual identity is manifested by DOING, I urge you to act by: * re-thinking your decision; * reinstating your support for CTA; * reimagining what's possible; * reinvigorating your historic roots in social justice as a spiritual act.

We write to ask Cornell's Office of Student and Campus Life to continue its support of the Center for Transformative Action (CTA). The CTA’s support has allowed our organization, the North American Food Systems Network (NAFSN), to support, train, and connect thousands of food systems workers, many who serve and represent low-resource community-based organizations throughout the United States. Much of our daily work fits directly with Cornell’s Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making (OSMM): we help caring individuals do the moral and ethical work of food production and distribution, with a focus on equitable and sustainable access for the common good. This is a service mission, very much aligned with OSMM and the CTA. We have employed dozens of Cornell work-study students in this work, equipping them with skills, experiences, and connections that prepare them to intentionally live out their deeply held beliefs and values around food justice, food security, and ecological stewardship. NAFSN provides extensive, real-world guidance to its team of work-study students each semester, teaching Cornell students how to live, act, and work with intention and purpose to make a positive difference in our sometimes-turbulent, difficult, and unjust world. Please. We ask that you continue Cornell’s partnership and funding of the Center for Transformative Action so that the many organizations it supports might persist, multiplying this critical investment.

they changed my life

I get really good quality products for a fair price. I love it!

I am Alex Eshelman, Associate Director of OPEN DOORS, a project of the Center for Transformative Action. I have been working for CTA since the beginning of 2021, and the impact they've had on me during this time is tremendous. Professionally speaking, I grew up at CTA. This is my first career-job. I've learned so much working for CTA and have had the privilege to impact many lives doing crucial work. Without CTA, I would not be the leader who I am. My colleagues at OPEN DOORS who are also CTA employees, the Reality Poets, share this sentiment and have given me permission to include their testimonials along with my own. Here is how CTA has impacted some of them: Shannon Nelson, OPEN DOORS Reality Poet - CTA has helped me with daily life income that I otherwise would not have because of my disability. CTA makes life much easier. Var Lawrence, OPEN DOORS Reality Poet - CTA helped me become a working man. Because of them I know what taxes are, I never paid income taxes before. Peter Yearwood, OPEN DOORS Reality Poet - CTA helped me become a tax payer. I realized how much better they were than our previous sponsor and they really helped us grow and mature to the point that we could do our feature length documentary film FIRE.

Annabel’s has been a community staple since my freshman year, and many of my Cornell memories are tied to the store. Whether it was buying grapes with my friends in our 15 min break between classes, or buying affordable, high quality, healthy ingredients that brought joy in the cold winter months. It is more than a store, it is a testament to the ideals that Cornell holds itself to: transformative action, community support, high standards, and people over profits. To lose Annabel’s would be a dissolution of our already frayed social fabric, I hope this is not another connection we as a community must mourn.

Anabel's Grocery and the Center for Transformative Action (CTA) have been invaluable resources for communities in Cornell/Ithaca, New York State, and beyond. Anabel's, in particular, has been an important source of healthy, sustainable food access and education, filling a critical gap in local food systems. Beyond Ithaca, CTA's impact is far-reaching. I've been particularly inspired by all of their 30+ projects committed to building vital networks and local collective action -- from projects focused on helping to facilitate the creation of a humane reentry system to Anabel's grocery providing healthy, sustainable food and education, as well as my affiliated project, the International Center for Sustainable Well-being that focuses on education at the nexus of sustainability and human health. Being part of the CTA community, learning and growing together, has been a true source of light and solidarity in these uncertain times. Losing university financial support would be devastating, jeopardizing not only Anabel's but also the numerous other vital community projects the CTA nurtures. We cannot afford to lose these essential resources! I urge Cornell's Office of Student and Campus Life to reconsider its decision and continue its significant financial support, and I implore the community to support the CTA and Anabel's in every way possible. With gratitude, Winston

CTA projects are of profound value to our communities and that shouldn't be interrupted.

Anabel's has been such an impactful store for the Cornell community. Many times I have studied in the Alternative's Library after purchasing a sweet treat or cup of kombucha from Anabel's. Anabel's has truly been a delight to shop in and sets a standard for other stores to be as sustainable and cost effective. Anabel's is more than a store to buy groceries. It is a loving hand in the harsh, competitve, and unwelcoming Cornell environment.

Being involved with Anabel’s was one of the best parts of my Cornell experience!

Anabel’s is a crucial part of the support system for Cornell students in need. Cornell touts Anabel’s as part of their efforts to give back but this is a false promise of Cornell’s philanthropy if they do away with it.

I remember that we took a class field trip to Anabel’s. I was unfamiliar with the store but once I came inside, it was amazed. The fact that there is affordable healthy food directly on campus shows Anabel’s work and effort to make these things more accessible. Additionally, the fact that it is encourages student management shows the commitment of students to the cause. Additionally, it is an embodiment of engaged learning while serving the community and supporting the learning of the food to plate pipeline.

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE ANABEL’s. MY GIRLFRIEND LOVES SHOPPING HERE AND I LOVE MAKING HER HAPPY

Being a part of the Anabel's community was transformative for me as an undergrad. Not only did I benefit immensely professionally and academically from working in various positions for the organization during my entire time at Cornell, but I also personally benefited from the access to local, fresh, affordable food. My experience with Anabel's has stayed with me even four years out of undergrad and it inspired me to join the Board of a similar grocery store where I now live in St. Louis. I also had the pleasure of working for the Lyson Center during undergrad, another highly impactful CTA project. CTA does such incredible work, and Anabel's has provided me with lifelong learnings and friendships. Please do not jeopardize this critically important learning lab and resource!

During my time at cornell multiple CTA projects were key to my enjoyment and learning at Cornell. I always enjoyed the selection and homely feel of the Durland library, I routinely had access to healthier options at better prices through Annabel's, and the Prisoner Express project expanded my views on the world in a truly transformative way. All of these projects deserve the upmost support, and by doing anything less cornell is failing.

Anabel’s have been an amazing place to rely on for food and specially as a low income student.

The Dorothy Cotton Institute (DCI) began in Dorothy's living room, in 2009, and was nurtured in CTA's incubator; we grew into a CTA project, carrying the legacy of Dorothy Foreman Cotton--Education Director of the SCLC, leader of countless Citizenship Schools, freedom fighter, song leader of spirituals and freedom anthems. She was former Director of Student Activities at Cornell, and the only woman on Dr. M.L.K., Jr.'s Executive Staff. Dorothy Cotton was the embodiment of nonviolent, spirit-led direct action for civil rights, full citizenship, peacemaking and reconciliation. CTA has been a nurturing home for DCI, and it's actually shocking see Cornell pushing CTA away because our projects don't align with "spirituality and meaning-making"? I believe that argument is disingenuous. Has Cornell lost its mind or its moral compass? I invite Cornell administrators to watch our documentary, Move When the Spirit Says Move, and see how spirit and struggle are braided together. Meet the CTA projects to understand how they are working nonviolently to end the suffering of all beings. There is a connection between social justice, transformative action and spirit. In one way or another, all 35 CTA projects are contributing to building the Beloved Community Dorothy and Dr. King espoused and lived for. Sadly, it may be so that CURW no longer champions human rights, community engagement, or reclaiming the soul of America. The good news is that you don't have to be a cleric to do soul work or be moved by Spirit. Is Cornell's conclusion truly that we are not sufficiently spirit-guided to qualify for affiliation with religion--by feeding the hungry with affordable fresh food; uplifting people in jail and supporting their return to our community; honoring elders with creativity, and encouraging ill detainees with love and respect; teaching people their human rights; offering asylum to writers of conscience; remembering the suffering of our ancestors stolen from Africa with transcendent sculpture; encouraging mental health, care and connection for mothers; turning buildings in to temples, adorning our city with glorious murals reflecting the human spirit of our community back to us, etc.)? If this doesn't move Cornell, perhaps then CTA's affiliation with CURW truly no longer makes sense. I can see how CU's affiliation with CTA's historical roots of nonviolent anti-war dissent by courageous, inspired priests, and now, transforming lives by supporting the work of 35 worthy positive projects exemplifying the principles of Beloved Community could really be a splendid feather of integrity and in the university's bonnet. How ironic that Associate Dean Joel Harter publicly welcomed distinguished Professor Angela Y. Davis so warmly only 11 days ago, while nevertheless distancing CURW and the Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making from CTA. The heartfelt and anguished quotes shared here illustrate the meaning people are making from this mean-spirited decision. DCI is proud to be a project of CTA. Laura Branca Dorothy Cotton Institute

Anabel's grocery provided access to healthy foodstuffs at an affordable price without having to travel too far out of campus. Sometimes I would want to go to the grocery stores outside of campus but there was not much time outside of clases to do so and I did not have a car to travel easily nor a big enough budget for the grocery store prices so Anabel's is a good solution to solve those needs for me and other students. Please keep Anabel's going, it's a godsend

Anabel’s grocery caters to every member of the community, even to those with dietary restrictions.

The programs have been a daily benefit to me and would be a significant loss.

Anabel’s is such an important organization on campus. Affordable healthful food is so important for the mental and physical well being of our community. Anabel’s serves such a unique niche (bulk and high quality whole foods) that no other place on campus comes close to matching. It invites students to cook, makes eating well accessible and inspiring, cultivates community (in its everyday existence and all of its dinners/potlucks/evenings) and serves as a teaching tool. There should be more Anabel’s on campus (all of the other food joints like Mann Cafe, Libe, Jansens etc should serve some of the bulk treats Anabel’s does). Removing it from Cornell is a sad step in the wrong direction. Food security, sovereignty, and community are so important to cultivate.

CTA does amazing work for Cornell students, the City of Ithaca, and beyond! I have read poetry in the Alternative's Library and bought bread at Anabel's. My favorite place on campus.

Such a great org and community connecting people to local farms and businesses

Anabel's has been an incredible resource for me in my time at Cornell, allowing me to purchase produce and other food that would otherwise have been beyond my budget. The service this store provides in community building and allowing student access to food and other necessities is invaluable. Cornell, please continue to fund this remarkable program!

I am a parent who visits Cornell several times throughout the year. Annabel’s is one of my favorite (and often the first) stop i make during each visit. The staff is always friendly, and I have learned so much about the beautiful work Anabel’s provides the community. I’m quite shocked that a University that claims, “To do the greatest good,” would even consider cutting such a well establish and functioning program that serves the needs of so many. I have even referenced store this in my masters program to encourage other colleges to instill this model. Cornell has a strong name, but will lose its charm with these disheartening decisions.

When I was a Resident Advisor living on-campus, I was required to purchase a meal plan I could not use. I have a host of food allergies and a complex combination of chronic conditions that made it nearly impossible for me to eat at the dining halls. Even with SDS accommodations, I was still paying over $3000 a semester to eat meals that did not provide sufficient nutrition for me to have energy during the day. During this time, Anabel’s Grocery provided low-cost, high-quality food that I could purchase to supplement my dining hall diet so that I could make it through long days of classes and work while also maintaining financial responsibility. Now that I live off-campus, I still rely on Anabel’s to provide fresh, satisfying, allergy-friendly, and culturally important food that I cannot find at any other grocery store in Ithaca or at Cornell Dining. Anabel’s is so important to my health and wellbeing at Cornell, and to that of many of my peers. This decision by Cornell is actively targeting disabled, low-income, and culturally diverse students in an attack on belonging, diversity, equity, and community. Cornell has a responsibility to its students to fund the CTA and keep Anabel’s open.

I love stopping by Anabel's as a low income student for groceries. Also, I've indirectly worked with Prisoner's express before, and I believe that it's a really important project that should not lose funding!!

Anabel’s is a learning incubator like no other. The education I got working with the team to start up the store was as valuable as any class. Support for CTA ensures this learning lab can continue to benefit students across the university—both as a place to get nourishment and a place to learn valuable skills we can’t learn in the classroom.

Anabel's Grocery is a vital part of Prisoners Express, a gateway for the incarcerated to connect with the outside world. Picture yourself in a cell, without a phone and surrounded by scary, violent men. Even though you long to reform and become a better person, the environment makes it quite difficult. By disbanding CTA and Anabel, you would be turning away from the prisoners who are desperately clinging to hope, like someone hanging onto a rock at the edge of a cliff, fighting for their life. Willingly refusing to extend a hand, fully aware of the consequences, does not respect the values nor mission of Cornell.

I am writing on behalf of The North American Food Systems Network (NAFSN), a growing organization who partners with the Center for Transformative Action (CTA). The CTA’s support has been the key to helping our organization thrive (by means of being our fiscal agent). NAFSN connects literally thousands of food systems workers with jobs, training, and community organizations across the country. Many of these serve low-resource organizations and audiences. NAFSN’s work correlates well with Cornell’s Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making as our focus is on the moral and ethical work of community food production… emphasizing access for all. We ask Cornell's Office of Student and Campus Life to consider continuing its support of the CTA so that it can continue supporting so many impactful projects. Thank you. Brian Raison, Professor. The Ohio State University

I’m class of 2005, and spent many hours at Anabel Taylor Hall, but that was way before Anabel’s existed, but I run the City of Boston Office of Food Justice and would be happy to support by serving on an alumni board or advisory group to help identify other sources of funding etc.

Anabel’s has been a safe and affordable place for me to get groceries and help support others. The cost of groceries and goods has become outrageous, and this is one of the few places on campus where I can get food.

Anabel’s single handedly the sole grocery store on the campus food desert. Many weeks I relied on them when I was unable to leave campus to search for food

Anabel’s is a fantastic resource for the community, and has provided cheap, healthy foods to students, faculty, and staff for years. Depriving the community of this resource would kill one of the most valuable parts of Cornell. Anabels and other CTA programs are at the core of what Cornell CAN be.

CTA is a lifeline for social impact projects such as Anabel's Grocery. In our current economic and political climate, this is the time when organizations such as CTA are needed the most.

Annabel is the best source of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as organic products at a reasonable price. It’s changed the lives of students who are not able to pay Cornell or collegetown prices for their food.

Cornell pretending they don’t have enough money to fund a singular grocery store

Anabel’s was my rock during my time at Cornell. The store is not only a valuable class for students like I was, but it’s also a vibrant and loving community. I poured so much time and love into this community. This store was a saving grace for me during my time at Cornell. You can’t stop supporting the CTA. You just can’t. The CTA and Anabel’s has helped so many Cornell students and it’s the soul and heart of the wider Cornell community. Without Anabel’s, so many still students won’t have access to affordable and nutritious foods. Please. This can’t be the end.

Anabel's provides so many options for healthy eating and makes me so happy when they have produce that even Wegmans might not have. As a student without a car, it remains the best place to keep eating healthy while studying hard. It is a friendly place that provides ethnic spices and sauces, making it a great place to go in order to make foods that make you feel at home.

Anabel’s was always beloved by students and such a good resource in the community.

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!

In my visits, I have never been alone; even when I arrived to a closed Anabel's, there were other patrons hoping it was open. Doesn't this clearly demonstrate community need and value? Since Cornell qualifies as an urban food desert, it seems obvious that any opportunities to provide access to healthy grocery would be obvious initiatives to support. This ought to be emphasized at a land grant school, especially when the grocery is so heavily connected to the student food system microcosm. The community, resources, and third spaces found through the CTA ought be protected and uplifted.

I really appreciate Anabel's presence. It's a place where I can get fresh vegetables around campus, and it helps reduce food waste. It would be so sad if it were gone.

It’s a lifesaver for low-income students, please don’t make it stop

Essential! These are the projects that need funding more than ever! Should be a major priority, especially in an otherwise unhealthy food neighbourhood. Students and community members need more opportunities to engage with the healthy food system and Anabel's grocery provides that engagement!

Anabel's has been a lifesaver for me during financially difficult times. And being able to afford nutritious, fresh produce while also supporting student-run farms feels really good.

Anabel's provides a fundamental service to students who struggle with food security and food access. It provides affordable healthy foods in what is otherwise a fast food college neighborhood, with one lone healthy alternative at Greenstar. Plus, it aligns with the university's overall values and mission. And, it's simply a good thing!

Nutrition is so important, especially under stressful moments as a student. Having Anabels provide affordable, nutritious, convenient groceries changed my experience at Cornell and I would love the future students to have this same experience. It brought together a community and it is really sad to see it be taken down.

I love the sourdough bread, it is amazing!

I was lucky enough to be a part of the Anabel’s community during my time at Cornell and it changed the way I understood the world at large. It’s a vital resource for students to purchase cheap and nutritious foods, learn about the larger food system, and gain valuable experience in a supportive environment. This community is unlike any other and it’s a shame that Cornell would take that away from students.

As an athlete I believe nutrition is important and in order to have good nutrition you need good produce. Anabel’s store is close to campus and always has high quality produce unlike other supermarkets in the area who lack in quality and are far away. The quality of my diet will definitely decline of the store is closed.

I'm currently doing a community work-study internship with a CTA organization through Cornell. This opportunity allows me to earn money for tuition, gain valuable real-world experience, and give back to the local community I deeply care about. I truly hope Cornell doesn't take this invaluable opportunity away from its students.

When I consider and read the hundreds of comments about the impact of Anabel's, I multiply that across the 50+ years of CTA's history and the thousands of lives CTA has changed for the better through the social justice work it has supported throughout Tompkins County, New York State and globally. Many of these projects are familiar to the Ithaca community -- Story House Ithaca, Discover Cayuga Lake, Ithaca Murals, Ultimate Re-Entry Opportunity, Dorothy Cotton Institute, Vitamin-L Chorus, Open Doors English, Memory Makers, the Manufactured Housing Working Group, Ithaca City of Asylum... You may only know the project, but CTA stands behind them. CTA provides accounting, HR and risk management expertise to changemakers -- so they can focus on creating socially just communities. CTA is truly a capacity-building organization. This is what "doing the greatest good" looks like.

Anabel’s helped me get through some tough times as an undergrad when I was living off campus and it was hard for me to purchase healthy food.

Being involved at Anabel's Grocery wholly deepened my sense of purpose and commitment towards food justice during my time at Cornell and still, to this day.

I frequently bought fresh and local groceries at Anabels as a student. They were always affordable and healthy, and remarkably, I left each time with a spark of joy. Anabels is a fantastic resource and makes campus a home for the community that lives there. KEEP FUNDING IT, CORNELL!!!

I worked at Dilmun Hill during my time at Cornell and partnering with Anabel’s was an incredibly rewarding experience! Anabel’s and the CTA always gave me a lot of hope at Cornell and provide valuable experiences (including unique educational experiences!) for so many Cornell community members.

Literally the only close source for healthy, affordable, and allergen friendly groceries. WTF Cornell

As a low-income student, Anabel’s grocery has allowed me to get food for a low price that I wouldn’t be able to get because other places are far off campus.

Having accessible and affordable produce on campus was crucial for keeping a healthy diet for me. Anabel’s was the perfect spot for getting my fruits and veggies on campus.

Anabel's was super important to the food security of my friends living off campus and already paying exorbitant prices for housing - closing Anabel's would have a devastating impact on students off-campus who rely on it for affordable groceries :(

I took the Anabel's Grocery course in Spring 2020 and it inspired me to concentrate in Community Food Systems within my major. I stayed involved with Anabel's Grocery for the rest of my time at Cornell because I appreciated the mission of the project as well as the sense of community it provided me. Anabel's provides a welcoming space to connect over food choices that make a positive impact on the community and the environment.

I have been very impressed with the importance Anabel's has had for so many students working there and shopping there!

Anabel's serves as a hub for students who are food insecure and a community for those who want to help other students. It spurs additional projects like the free food "freedges" project which is helping to feed insecure students and staff by placing donation refrigerators in buildings across campus.

Helped with food insecurity and affordability

Please don’t take away this funding. I know people who were food insecure while at Cornell. This is isn’t a luxury, Anabels is a NEED for those students. Please don’t take that away

When I took the Anabel's course my junior year of college, I was fascinated about its goal where every student has access to the nourishment they need to thrive academically, physically, and socially. When working in this little grocery store, I was proud to be able to provide fresh, nutritious, and affordable food to Cornell students. Being able to work with local farmers, student-run organizations, and other students really opened my eyes to the workings of an equitable and ecologically-sound food system. Anabel's is an incredible initiative, and I am so grateful that I was able to have this opportunity. I have heard first hand on how students who are lower income and/or do not have access to grocery stores on our campus would not have been able to purchase produce and other products without this powerful little store. Please consider saving the CTA!

Annabel’s is a key pillar of the Cornell campus, providing affordable and healthy groceries for students to access. Losing Annabel’s would mean losing a key aspect of our community on campus, and would impact all those who have depended on this resource. Cornell must do its best to preserve key resources like Annabel’s and support initiatives that ensure accessibility.

This is a great resource yh

The grocery store options in Ithaca are pretty terrible if you are a graduate student. Most of them (except Aldi's) are extremely expensive, meaning it can be challenging to afford quality ingredients on a graduate student's budget. Anabel's completely changed that. I would not have been able to eat quality food as a graduate student without Annabel's. I would not have been as healthy as I was without Anabel's. Their produce, eggs, and dairy options are excellent and affordable. Their spice selection is impeccable. Anabel's is one of the best parts of Cornell; please do not take that away.

I do not know much about CTA projects aside from Anabel's. I do not know about the veracity of Cornell pulling funding from CTA projects. What I do know is that Anabel's is a CTA project, and based on my experience, that should be protected. Anabel's is the closest grocery store for students on Cornell. It provides food security for undergraduate and graduate students who would otherwise not have close access to a grocery store like Walmart or wegmans. I am not kidding when I say that without Anabel's, I will starve next year. On top of that, the class that is taught alongside Anabel's is a novelty that Cornell should be endorsing. There are definite flaws, but I think Cornell needs to collaborate with Anabel's in order to create a sustainable relationship that can exist at least a decade into the future (hopefully longer).

Anabel’s Grocery was an invaluable resource for me as a low income undergraduate student. While at Cornell, I did not have a car and needed to manage my own finances to ensure I could pay for my off campus housing and other expenses. Therefore, Anabel’s gave me access to affordable and fresh produce. Unlike a large share of Cornell students, I did not have the luxury to have my parents give me an allowance or send me money whenever I wanted to order food or go grocery shopping at Wegmans. Reducing funding from this student run grocery store is a betrayal to all the students who shop there because it is financially their best option and most accessible.

Anabel’s offers life changing resources and community for the Cornell community. Risking the loss of Anabel’s is a huge mistake on the part of Cornell administration, and as an alumni I would be deeply, deeply disappointed in Cornell leadership for condoning this decision.

Why would you cut funding for such a well utilized organization?

CTA funds so many worthwhile organizations and those organizations support students and the community. It is important for Cornell to continue this support and to show its commitment to both Cornell students and the community in this growing time of need.

As a student in Anabel’s and having worked in the store, I’ve seen how people eagerly check Anabel’s for the groceries they need before checking other grocery stores off campus because of its affordability and convenience. Grocery prices for healthy and nourishing foods are simply too expensive and Anabel’s—although just a temporary bandaid for the larger issue—is a great cause in support of the still food insecure population on our very own campus.

Although I have not shopped at Anabel's, it definitely would be something that I would have liked in the past as someone who did experience food insecurity. Everyone should have access to quality food, and campus should foster such a support system--especially for students who need to focus on academics and the future but then also have other worries like finances and food insecurity.

Food access saves lives

Anabel’s fosters a sense of community. Shopping there feels different from a regular store—it’s student-run, welcoming, and designed to support people like me who might not always have time or resources to get quality food elsewhere. The cooking classes and workshops have also helped me develop better eating habits and learn easy, budget-friendly recipes.

CTA projects and efforts such as Anabel’s not only serve myriad communities in the present, but they provide a foundation upon which future leadership of such initiatives is built. If Cornell is truly dedicated to providing and supporting opportunities for students to improve themselves and, more important, grow as individuals who will improve the world around them, then Cornell will stand up and do the right thing with support that is both financial and institutional.

I teach about food systems at Cornell to both undergraduates and graduate students. In my undergraduate courses we have included a field visit to Anabel's grocery as part of the course. Students have been inspired and encouraged by this student-run initiative that addresses student food insecurity while support local, sustainable food production. Numerous students over the years have decided to work at Anabel's and take the course with Dr. Anke Wessel and have attested to how meaningful that course and experience has been and how much they have learned. I have also known many undergraduate students who have purchased healthy food options from Anabel's and speak about how important it is to them. This is an important resource and one that Cornell, who aims to 'do the greatest good', should retain for both public health and sustainability goals, alongside student learning.

For me CTA has been a bright spot in Cornell's manifestations of its founder's interest making Cornell a place for people of any background to benefit from education. I acknowledge, that in today's political climate, promoting social justice and the well-being of the general public is out of fashion with the take-over of institutions of higher learning by those on the far right. In the current election of alumni trustees, two far-right candidates were petitioned onto the ballot, something that I have not observed previously. I have been actively involved in and committed to two of CTA's projects that I think have done great work in promoting a food system that would be more sustainable and better serve the general population in our country and elsewhere. The cutting of ties with CTA severely undermines my admiration for Cornell.

They provide cheap groceries for students who don't make a lot of money!

Anabel's is an amazing option for healthy and affordable food! I often stop there on my way home to pick up a snack. The atmosphere is welcoming and the grocers are so nice!

I don't have a car on campus and Anabel's is the only place where I can afford/make time to get healthy groceries. I also work at the store on the weekends and have had so many students come up to me and tell me how impactful the work is that we are doing/how much the presence of Anabel's means to the Cornell community and mitigating the issue of food insecurity on campus. Taking away Anabel's would mean taking away students' fundamental right to accessing affordable food and not to mention a space on campus that so many students love and pour their hearts and time into running.

I have been an advisory board member of Ithaca City of Asylum (ICOA) for many years, and I know first-hand how vital CTA’s fiscal sponsorship has been to that all-volunteer grassroots effort. With CTA’s skilled staff handling the “back end” (bookkeeping, accounting, payments, licensing, insurance, legal, etc.), ICOA has been able to bring nine international writers and artists and their families to Ithaca for lifesaving two-year residencies. Recently, working with our partners at Global Cornell, ICOA launched a national project called the Opportunity Network for At-Risk Writers, Artists, Rights Defenders, and Scholars (ONWARDS) that helps people in short-term positions at universities and nonprofits around the country find stability once their fellowships, scholarships, and residencies are over. CTA’s nonprofit status and administrative support have been essential to ONWARDS’ success. Finally, when I and a small group of Ithacans wanted to launch a community organization to bring people from different backgrounds together around stories, we took the idea to CTA and were honored to be invited under the umbrella. Over the last three years, Story House Ithaca has hosted or organized more than 150 events and activities, from intergenerational playwriting workshops to open mic storytelling nights. (We are currently working with OSMM on an event honoring local refugees and the organizations that support them.) Thanks to our affiliation with CTA, we have been able to attract grants from the NY State Council for the Arts, Humanities NY, Park Foundation, Community Foundation of TC, and other funders. CTA is a treasure for Cornell, Ithaca, and Tompkins County. I urge the university to continue its support.

Annabel’s groceries is the only place on campus that take food stamps (SNAP EBT) and taking that away will take away my ability to access food in close proximity.

Anabel's grocery has been so amazing and definitely made healthy eating a lot more affordable and convenient for students. It is also an amazing opportunity for students to learn about environment sustainability and food inequities, especially if they are thinking of entering healthcare or social work.

ANABEL'S MUST BE KEPT.

I work as a therapist at Cornell Health; I direct many financially struggling students to Anabel's every year and I know for certain that many of them depend on the food available there to secure adequate nutrition for themselves. There's no doubt that Anabel's closure would go unnoticed by the many students of means here, but there's also no doubt that its closure would add significant additional burden and stress to the students without. We'll see if this is an instance in which leadership decides that Cornell's endowment serves the institution, or yet another sad example of the reverse.

I don’t have a car or a bus pass, which makes off campus grocery very difficult and costly. I also find the grocery stores in college town extremely expensive. Annabel’s allow me to save so much money and time grocery shopping when I am busy and need to grab quick ingredients for cooking.

I was an exchange student from fall 2023 to spring 2024 and CTA and Annabel’s were part of my favorite part of campus. There was a sense of community there. It is super importance to keep it. Think about not feeling well on campus who found confort in those places.

The first time I was on Cornell campus as a prospective student my parents and I stopped in Annabel’s and found ourselves in lovely conversation with the student workers and buying a couple bags of the local cinnamon chips. This was a foundational experience to my choosing Cornell as the place for me as I was so excited to find niche communities like this one, that appeared so well supported by the school to be located in such a prestigious building (despite on going construction). Closing Annabel’s would not only be a disservice to Cornell students but students yet to come.

Annabel’s provides a sense of security for many students by offering affordable, fresh, local produce.

Anabel’s is the only place on campus that accepts SNAP EBT, to cut programs like this would be a slap in the face to low income students on campus and contribute to food insecurity on campus.

The experiences I had working at Anabels for the two years I did were some of the most fulfilling and joyful memories I had on campus. Being apart of Anabels community has allowed me to meet some of the most authentically kind, determined, and compassionate students I’ve ever met — all of whom work together towards the goal of sustainability and food security for everyone on Cornell’s campus. It is incredibly disappointing to see Cornell University — an institution that very publicly prides itself on sustainability, equity, and social change through public engagement — even consider getting rid of one the most uniquely cool and philanthropic organizations the school has ever had. It would be an absolute shame for Anabels to shut down — and it would say a lot about an institution like Cornell, which had every reason to fund this initiative for decades to come.

Anabels is a gem, and an essential part of food access on campus. Its loss would put even more pressure on the under-resourced Cornell food pantry. It also is a great place for undergrads to gain experience and a welcoming community space! I can’t believe this funding is being cut!

I love coming to Anabel's for the student friendly costs of high quality food! It's also amazing to see the number of sustainable measures the store has taken and maintained. I would be devastated to see it go!

Great fresh food. Also went on a farm tour.

Anabel's Grocery was such a saving grace for me. I didn't have a car and to get affordable groceries, I would have to purposefully take hours of my day to plan out travel time given the unreliable and sparse bus schedules (also due to budget cuts). Anabel's Grocery was the one source of reliable, healthy, and affordable produce near campus, and their new initiative to rescue food to give for free was huge for me and many others. This is such an important organization for students and food insecurity on campus, which typically goes unseen. If Cornell is really committed to its mission of "any person, any study," the school needs to make sure that all students are able to get access to nourishing food to thrive.

It’s disappointing that Cornell would consider cutting CTA funding to save a measly $100K. The University’s plan to reduce food insecurity among students is already so inadequate, but without Anabel’s the issue will only be exacerbated. Many of us can’t afford the $10 produce at GreenStar in Collegetown.

Annabels is the the best source of healthy groceries. Please keep it going!

Anabel’s is such a unique place - delicious and AFFORDABLE selection of food and great student staff. It would be so unfortunate to see it disappear - if anything, it should be growing in attention.

Please save Anabel's because they saved my life before.

Anabel’s is the most cost effective grocery for students, while also offering healthy options!!

Anabel's helped me have access to affordable, healthy food as a student. It was also very convenient to have on campus and not need a car to get to. I would be incredibly sad to see it go away.

Anabel's was crucial to my health and wellbeing throughout my years as an undergrad and graduate student at Cornell, ensuring that I ate proper meals by giving me access to fresh and affordable produce in a convenient location. The only other grocery store within walkable distance to campus that has fresh produce is much more expensive, and unaffordable on a typical college student's budget. Going further than walking distance requires the luxury of a car, or the luxury of time, neither of which I had as a student. I did the majority of my grocery shopping at Anabel's, and I honestly don't know what I would've done without Anabel's.

Anabel's Grocery was such an important part of my time at Cornell University, and it would be an absolute shame to see it go. Anabel's, along with the other non-profit organizations that are housed under CTA, have built an immense sense of community and provided employment for students, opportunities to meet people from all across the University and the town of Ithaca, and has made the university life that much easier. I don't understand how Cornell doesn't recognize the impact that Anabel's Grocery has on students -- if Anabel's were to shut down, the cost of living would go up dramatically, something that a lot of students would simply not be able to handle. As someone who worked at Anabel's throughout my time in university, it would be such a shame to lose a space that was not only essential for me to get through my time in University, but also a chance to work with people from Ithaca and the surrounding area and get outside of the university bubble. I'm shocked by how little Cornell and the Office of Student Life seems to really care about the student life experience and funding.

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.

i am not a part of the cornell community directly, however i believe anabel’s is an extremely important asset to keep within the campus. as a sustainability minor at another university, i believe the message behind anabel’s is very touching and impactful. to provide common grocery needs sustainably to the students and faculty of cornell is amazing enough, but extending this offer to those in the ithaca community is the cherry on top. i believe saving anabel’s would greatly benefit the students, faculty, and community surrounding cornell as it is an environmentally conscious and convenient way for the group mentioned to obtain their daily needs.

I first found out about Anabel’s and CTA before I applied to Cornell. Like my college app essay said, it was one of the things that drove me to Cornell, something I knew I cared about and wanted to be a part of. I love Anabel’s as a class (where I learned about the problem of foos waste and food insecurity, agricultural difficulties, other CTA projects), as a non-profit grocery store/organization (for the cheap oatmilks and delicious wild awake bakery breads), and as a vibrant, uplifting community (as shown through our Toastathons, community dinners, collaborations with other clubs and local vendors). Anabel’s has left a fundamental impact on my education and experience at Cornell, and it devastates me that Cornell SCL wants to “redistribute the $100k funding elsewhere.” Cornell uses Anabel’s as an example for its “to do the greatest good” alum fundraising campaign of $5 BILLION. The tiny $100k funding, in comparison, is what makes Anabel’s and other CTA projects possible. So many people have cared so much and thus worked so hard to uplift people through CTA projects and Anabel’s. Taili Mugambee, director of Ultimate Reentry Opportunity, a part of CTA, was so lovely to talk to and his organization helps previously incarcerated people have a second chance and transition back into society. Anke Wessels, director of CTA and professor of the Anabel’s class, spends her entire life making a real difference through Anabel’s. It’s been amazing working with and learning from these people. I’m a senior now, soon to graduate, but with all of my being, I wish future students also have the opportunity to shop at Anabel’s, join the community, and learn, contribute, and be impacted like I did. If Anabel’s and CTA don’t align well to Cornell’s “to do the greatest good” mission, I don’t know what is.

As an undergrad and now as a grad student, I rely on getting more affordable and convient groceries through Annabel's. $100k/year is much less than I expected it would cost for all of these programs to run. It is very frustrating and disappointing to hear that Cornell thinks $100k (a small amount compared to their vast wealth) is too much to ask for to support these amazing initiatives. Without it, me or my peers could go hungry more often.

The Anabel’s team graciously took part in the retreat for my on-campus job. They educated us on their mission, and I thought it was really cool what they’re doing for the community.

Anabel's has been sooo important in supporting my life here at Cornell as a low-ingome first generation student. What the university is trying to do is abominable and goes against Ezra Cornell's vision for our university. It's shameful.

It would be a shame to loose this valuable resource on our campus because of greed. Anabels and the Alternatives library provide a critical space for expression at Cornell. Plus, it would yank affordable groceries away from the Collegetown and campus community.

Anabel’s is an important resource for low-income students and students who are unable to easily grocery shop due to lack of transportation.

I love Anabel’s and the Alternative library. I honestly rely pretty heavily on their groceries as I don’t have a car and getting downtown each weekend can be a little tricky. They have a great product selection, amazing prices, and always the friendliest people working. It’s been an important part of my time at Cornell and would be quite a shame for Cornell to ignore the needs of their own students and get rid of Anabels and countless other CTA projects that directly benefit the community here at Cornell.

Anabel's is an organization that brings groups together and gets local, affordable produce to students at an accessible location. As a student, I was involved with the Cornell Hydroponics club, and part of our semester goals were growing leafy greens in the greenhouse for Anabel's grocery. I also had so much fun volunteering with Dilmun Hill Student farm this past fall, and they also provided their vegetables to Anabel's. Anabel's grocery is a centralized and convenient location for the Hydroponics club and Dilmun Hill to get their produce out to students! This is extremely important for so many of us without cars. I also see that Ithaca Murals was sponsored by CTA, which is a fantastic organization to beautify Ithaca. Public art makes the city a better place!

Anabel's has made been a definitive part of my Cornell experience. I was exposed to the flawed American food system through the class and will take what I have learned with me throughout the rest of my life.

Anabel's was always there when I needed it, and I am deeply saddened to hear that it could potentially lose its funding

Anabel's alleviates food insecurity issues in the student community

My friends and I love their dried mango!

Annabel’s Grocery is so valuable for the Cornell community and as a student, I’m so grateful for its convenience and availability. Save Anabel’s Grocery!!!

Anabel’s is really the only supplier with a variety fresh produce that is financially and locationally accessible to students who live on (particularly North) Campus.

Love having sustainable sourced, not so expensive food close by

Anabel’s is the primary way I’m able to feed myself living on campus. It’s an essential part of my life here as a Cornell student.

Amazing community

My daughter needs healthy food near campus that she can make in her nearby apartment. The fresh veggies from Dilmun are the best!

I was on the Studnet Assembly and University Assembly while on campus, where food insecurity was a top priority for the elected reps and many of our constituents. It's hard to talk about and harder to admit as a problem for many. I've been blessed to not personally know the stresses of food insecurity, but my vocal support of the organizations in the by-line funding and connections with Cornell Hunger Relief showed me that many more students need these resources than those who admit they do. The lack of support, data, and institutional recognition of this critical service concerns me. More advertising and consistent funding can and will keep students enrolled, promote greater academic outcomes, and change lives. If that is not the mission of Cornell, to do the greatest good, then I am afraid I don't know what is.

I was both an undergraduate and now am a current graduate student at Cornell. Anabel’s has brought so much joy to me and friends who care about food security, accessibility, and health. Anabel’s is a community, even more, a family. I was heartbroken to hear that Anabel’s would be simply written off without the university stepping in to help support the food hub. Anabel’s is for the students and Cornell’s priorities should was be their students first.

Anabels had been amazing through all years of my college experience. They’ve been involved and supportive in several events my club has hosted and the services they offer are invaluable. Many rely or take advantage of of the convenience and affordability. They play a critical role in our community and I hope Cornell fights to keep their operation afloat.

During a time when I was struggling, Anabel’s helped me stay fed.

Annabel’s has provided me with a plethora of resources for making healthy meals. Their fruits and veggies offered at a great price has allowed me to facilitate better eating habits!

It’s so hard to find reasonably priced produce in collegetown. Without Anabels I would probably be eating chips everyday.

It is hard to imagine Cornell without Anabel’s. An amazing resource for its students. I hope we can find a way to save it.

Anabel’s has been such an amazing resource since coming to Cornell. With cost of living and grocery constantly rising Anabel’s has offered affordable, healthy food. We need these kinds of resources in our community and it will be a HUGE loss to lose Anabel’s and many of the other CTA projects. This should be a university priority!

They’re affordable and near campus! I love coming here and it’s environmentally friendly!

As a student who will be living in Collegetown next year with no access to a car, Anabel’s is the only place that is both accessible and affordable for me to buy groceries. I was depending on it for my food security!

I got food at Anabel's when I couldn't afford food at the grocery store. Some weeks, it was the only way I could get vegetables I could afford, to augment what I could pick up at the food pantry. Anabel's is an invaluable resource at an institution that in so many ways fails low income students. It's something Cornell is doing right. Continuing the work Anabel's is doing means showing up for students who are hungry for the education Cornell claims it makes available. You can't study if you can't eat. Losing it would make life harder for so many students and community members.

In times of such uncertainty (my senior year was during COVID) Annabel’s provided a much needed respite from the concerns about food insecurity and truly was a highlight of my week! Gathering my produce bags and finding ways to eat more locally sourced produce in an affordable and healthy manner!

I’ve personally benefited from Annabel’s food prices. Cornell is a food dessert without a car. Every other option within a 20 minute walk of campus is incredibly expensive. Other options are not accessible for people who can only walk because they do not have a vehicle or money to buy food at the expensive supermarkets.

As a parent of two Cornell students, I urge the university to maintain its support of Anabel's Grocery and the Center for Transformative Action.Your investment of $100,000 provides a valuable return on investment in the form of improving the quality of life for students. It is difficult for most students to have a car on campus so having the ability to access some affordable groceries on campus is an essential service for students that the university is not otherwise equipped to provide. In addition, this student run grocery and other activities of the Center for Transformative Action contribute to students' sense of community and of Cornell being a place that meets their needs outside of academics. The university's efforts to provide two years lead time to find alternate funding and to assist with helping to find that are appreciated but it would be even better to simply continue the support which is a modest amount for Cornell but everything for these organizations to be able to continue.

Anabel's was crucial when I was a low-income student living off campus. I didn't have a car, so I relied on the bus and Instacart for food delivery. Local stores had few options and took advantage of the relative wealth and isolation of CTown. Anabel's, by contrast, was cheap and accessible. Anabel's Grocery allowed me to make dinners for friends, giving us an affordable way to get together and share a mutual tradition. I was able to prep meals for friends struggling with illness or workload, make cookies for celebrations, and share recipes with homesick friends. Cooking is a powerful tradition that spans cultures, strengthens bonds, and creates lasting memories. Without Anabel's, such a vital connection would become severely limited.

Anabel’s is a convenient place on campus for me to access the foods I need, especially convenient when other food spaces aren’t open or as easily accessible. I also appreciate that they’re student-run and really seem to care about the Cornell community!!

Anabel’s grocery supports me and my roommate a lot with free food fridge.

Anabel's was an amazing resource to have as a broke undergraduate.

Anabels has helped me be able to keep eating nutritious food while experiencing financial hardship at Cornell.

Anabel’s kept me fed and healthy on campus without needing an expensive meal plan or a car. It brings awareness to healthy options and the employees get a first hand experience in healthy eating habits and community impact. Please keep Anabel’s alive!

Having a grocery store with subsidized rates I think is a really positive addition to Cornell. As someone who works with Food Recovery groups on campus, I think Anabel's is not only a great way to provide certain grocery options to students, but to also teach students more about food management and alternative business models that are driven primarily for impact.

Anabel’s fed me for 2 years on campus. For undergrads without cars, it was by far the most effective way to get groceries and eat healthy.

Anabel’s has given me a place to shop for healthy affordable produce and products during a time where my family is struggling severely financially. It is also a fun getaway from busy days as I love food and grocery shopping. This is an essential part of campus life to create a healthier student body.

I cannot afford food elsewhere. Anabel’s simply allows me to afford the nutrition levels that are healthy for me.

Anabel’s has provided me with food security support and a way for me to access fresh produce at a reasonable price, especially as a lower income student. I sincerely believe Anabel’s is an essential part of student community here on campus.

Anabel’s grocery is a critical resource on the Cornell campus. As a grad student struggling with low wages and a high cost of living in Ithaca, Anabel’s is a respite that allows for me and my peers to be nourished.

Anabels fosters a happy and inclusive environment like none other on this campus. It is integral to fostering equity and inclusion within a diverse socioeconomic student body.

Anabel’s was a much loved part of my undergrad experience at Cornell, and contributed to my overall well being by providing affordable and nutritious food. The same is true for countless other students.

I’ve gone weeks able to buy groceries at Anabel’s alone. I don’t have a car and I’m not on a meal plan, so it’s been really important in my life. It’s far more affordable than other grocery stores and has made living in Ithaca possible for me.

Anabels as well as the alternatives library have added significantly to my time at cornell. From affordable food and educational opportunities through Anabels to community events and caring spaces at the Alternatives Library, the defunding of these organizations rips from the heart of the cornell community.

The CTA has a lot of really helpful and valuable programs that cannot simply be neglected, especially by our administrators. A quick look at their website would literally show you this. It makes absolutely zero sense to cut funding from that which helps the student body and in no way harms it. For example, I know a lot of people that rely on Annabel’s for affordable and convenient groceries, and this will especially be important for people to have access to with the impending economic downfall the Trump administration is likely to bring with tariffs and poor oversight of environmental health. Takes two seconds to sign this petition, so definitely do it, you’ll be doing a lot of the people around you good.

Had affordable and even ready to eat food at my convenience that wasn’t a 30 minute (target)- or two bus hour long (Walmart) and isn’t over priced like 7-11 and has a variety of fresh and whole food that I really like. PLEASE KEEP ANABEL’S

Anabel’s Grocery and the Alternative Library have helped me so much! Please please do not close them

Anabel's Grocery has been a source of providing local and organic food resources to students and staff on campus. One of its kind, it operates to support small farms such as Dilmun Hill by selling its produce in the stores as well as a purpose to teach students the purpose of running a store. This not only holds entrepreneurial aspects but also the hard work and efforts behind every product it sells. It teaches not only the Cornell community about food production and entrepreneurship but also teaches us the importance of establishing a good relationship between food and community.

I am a student with specific caloric needs and having an on-campus place with affordable, organic, delicious, and calorically-dense foods is a MUST! I need my snacks!

When I was a student (CALS '23), part of my grocery shopping was always done at Annabel's. Without close proximity to a major grocery store near campus and without access to a car, Annabel's played a critical role in being able to keep my fridge stocked with healthy produce for my roommates and I. Ithaca is a challenging place to get food when you live off campus. You're options are 7/11 or purchasing pricey items from Greenstar. Annabel's filled a very important gap of food access, quality, and affordability. Without it, students will be forced to make very hard decisions about food.

Anabel's is one of the best programs on the Cornell campus, and support (or lack thereof) for Anabel's is indicative of Cornell's stance on issues like accessibility and sustainability.

Anabel's Grocery is a cornerstone of Cornell University's campus. It provides opportunities for students to take action and join in part of classes, activities, and become involved with Anabel's grocery's mission. Removing it would mean the removal of the soul for West and South campus.

Anabel’s is vital for students who may not be able to afford groceries elsewhere. It’s ANY person, any study; Cornell is not just for the wealthy.

Anabel's is so important to the Cornell Student community!!! Getting affordable groceries as a student without a car living off-campus is incredibly difficult in Ithaca. From collegetown, a bus to Wegmans or to Target is about a 1 hour round trip, with buses to the Wegmans/Walmart shopping plazas traveling infrequently. The Greenstar in collegetown is okay in a pinch, but produce there is expensive. Anabel's provided a way for me to access affordable seasonal produce and pantry staples on campus, and honestly sustained me during my busiest semesters where I didn't have the ~2-3 hours needed to take a bus trip to the grocery store all the time. If Cornell can put its money towards any project, more than concerts and any other student-run programming on campus, this is the one that helps students the most.

These are valuable spaces and programs for the student community.

Anabel's and the alternatives library has been integral to my experience at Cornell. I believe that these CTA projects not only are a source of affordable, local, and healthy foods to students and faculty, they also generate a sense of community at this school. People deserve the right to affordable and healthy food. For those who do not have a car, Anabels is the only walkable source of healthy and affordable produce from Cornell. Shutting it down takes this vital resource away from so many.

Anabel's is a powerful resource for low-income students that cannot afford to pay for groceries and meals. It is difficult to find healthy, fresh produce anywhere else on campus. In collegetown, the only options to buy groceries are 7/11 or Greenstar, both of which are expensive and usually not fresh. Target is nowhere near as accessible as Anabel's either -- its location on campus saves countless students' time and energy instead of an hour-long trip to and from Target. Anabel's is an indispensable haven of healthy, affordable food for those who truly need it.

Anabels means so much to our community and I think it’s something that makes Cornell special. If this gets taken away, I think it signals to greater Cornell Community Cornell’s lack of concern for food insecurity.

Anabels has been so beneficial for low income students, many of whom cannot afford the ridiculously high prices of food or cost of living in Ithaca. The food desert situation is real, a less expensive option on campus helps make food more affordable in comparison to needing a car to go all the way to Aldi’s or any other affordable grocery store.

Access to healthy and affordable food is a FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT

Annabel’s has been a critical part of my undergraduate daughter’s ability to keep healthy while pursuing their rigorous education and schedule at Cornell. Annabel’s provides affordable and convenient access to local fresh produce and real food for students living on and near campus.

We are parents of an alumna. Our daughter was on the board of the CTA when she was at Cornell. She is now a very successful faculty of the English Dept at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. She is now chair of her department, has served 3 yrs as Associate Dean, and is now a recognized leader at the College. I'm sure her time spent at CTA was influential in helping her transform from a youth leader to an important adult community leader both on and off campus.

Anabel's is the only way I can access affordable produce and other healthy food. With the price of groceries so high in Ithaca and only rising, Anabel's fills a critical niche in allowing students access to fresh fruits and veggies. Please Cornell, don't let your students go hungry.

Anabel’s has made healthy groceries available and affordable to me and so many others. It’s been a significant part of my experience at Cornell, not to mention the community that comes along with it.

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.

The Center for Transformative Action (CTA) is what attracted me to Cornell where I am now an affiliate employee. I strongly support CTA's mission to "support change makers in creating communities that are ecologically sound, socially just and work for everyone. Their bold actions inspire and animate the heart toward common good." When Anabel's was founded, thanks to advocacy work by two students, Cornell "incorporated questions about food insecurity in an annual survey, revealing that 22% of students admitted to often skipping meals to save money." That's significant, and it makes me wonder -- how many more did not respond? Or did not want to admit to skipping meals? Anabel's was founded to meet a direct need and it does so much more; it's become a cornerstone in Anabel Taylor Hall and a place of positive energy and community building. $100k must be a drop in the bucket for Cornell at least in the bigger picture; for what could the Office of Student and Campus Life need this portion of CTA's funding so badly? I strongly urge those making the decisions to reconsider this one and keep the endowment funding flowing to CTA so that Anabel's -- a cornerstone in Anabel Taylor Hall -- can continue their mission.

Anabel’s was a vital resource for me as an undergrad without a car on a very limited budget. so much 🤌

Anabel’s was the most accessible way to encourage me to eat healthier while I was a graduate student. This was thanks to their location on campus and affordable prices. Taking away funding is a blow to Cornell’s commitment to student well-being.

Anabel’s is a fantastic example of a sustainable food system here at Cornell, supporting both students and faculty nutritionally and mentally.

Annabel’s has been such a positive outlet for me as I’m transitioning to college life. I love their fresh selection of grocery items and am so grateful to have them as a resource I can readily depend on.

It has helped me get affordable groceries as a broke college student, allowing me to get healthy, nutritious food I otherwise would be be able to afford

Anabel's Grocery is a lifesaver for low income students like me, looking for good quality ingredients and produce at affordable prices.

Anabels was an integral part of my time at Cornell. Not only did it provide the food I needed to sustain myself, being a part of the organization cemented my dedication to sustainable agriculture and strengthening the broken food system. I am where I am today because of Anabel’s. Taking Anabel’s away will not only remove a vital source of food for the student population, but also a source of inspiration, education and opportunity for future generations of Cornelians.

Anabels is a great resource for busy and poor students to eat well and stay healthy. Often in day to day on campus it can be hard to find time to get to a grocery store or afford fresh afforable produce. Anabels has incredible offerings at affordable prices right on campus so it is easy to pick up on the way home or between classes. Without this resource students will struggle to take care of their wellbeing to the same level. Additionally, the compost program encourages environmentally friendly food practices that otherwise may require more time and effort than students can muster.

Anabels changed my life and made affordable fresh foods accessible to me. I did not have a car while in school and no grocery store was within walking distance, except Greenstar. Greenstar is very expensive. Having Anabels on campus made fresh affordable foods accessible to me. Taking the bus to TOPS or Wegmans was a 3 hour ordeal which was time I did not have to spare. I truly believe Anabels was the best student resource available for me in terms of healthy living.

`Anabel’s Grocery is the only place on campus where students can buy groceries in bulk, using their own containers. It is a valued member of Zero Waste Ithaca’s Reuse Sticker Program and operates within CTA, which houses many essential initiatives. Cornell’s decision to sever its 53-year affiliation with CTA and cut $100,000 in annual funding threatens these programs and their impact.

Anabel’s has granted the student body access to local, nutritious produce at an affordable price. There is no other location on campus that offers this. Furthermore, it cultivates a community that supports local businesses, something that is vital considering Cornell’s considerable impact in Ithaca.

I'm disabled and I don't have a car. Having Anabel's on campus is the reason I can access healthy groceries without paying an arm and a leg. Don't take away this extremely valuable resource!

Anabel’s is not only the most affordable place to get groceries in Ithaca, it’s also incredibly accessible. Students need a grocery store they can access when they’re low on money and/or don’t have a car!

Please, please restore funding for this critical program. I have volunteered in various aspects over the years and find the students & leadership to be stellar. These programs do so much good on many levels.

I’m a student living off campus without a car. It was so stressful not being able to access fresh vegetables, meat, and fruits because I didn’t have a car. The only other option is green star which is very expensive and does not hold the same range of goods. It genuinely takes mental loads off my mind knowing there is an affordable walkable grocery store on campus. Why would you take that option away for students? What else is more important than food security for many of us? What other uses would this funding go to?

Anabel's is a crucial resource for many people in the Cornell community, promoting access to healthy food for those of us who would otherwise be unable to afford it. Anabel's and other organizations under the CTA are essential to so many.

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 more than ever in projects like these (and CTAs other programs) that cultivate community, power, and hope.

Anabel's and CTA bring vitality to Anabel Taylor Hall and enrich the Cornell community in innumerable ways.

Anabel's is a powerful and efficient engine for good, simultaneously achieving Cornell's goals of student education and well-being like no other campus organization. Each semester, Anabel's feeds students experiencing financial hardship, endows all shoppers and event participants with essential life skills, fuels productive collaboration between student groups across campus, gives students unrivaled work experience in multiple levels of food system management, strengthens relationships between Cornell and local businesses, and builds multiple loci of rich student community -- all while facilitating a high-quality, credit-earning course. Working at Anabel's was a highlight of my Cornell education, proving much more valuable than many other academic- or student life-affiliated programs I participated in. Anabel's is the best of Cornell. Ceasing to fund Anabel's is a mistake that will degrade the quality of student life.

As one of the founders of Open Doors English, a CTA project, I know how essential CTA has been to the success of launching and building our program. CTA makes it possible for all kinds of incredible work to happen across New York State. Cornell should see and treat CTA as a jewel in its crown. Our state, counties, and communities need CTA and the projects it supports more than ever right now. Supporting CTA financially is a way for Cornell to realize its core values, particularly "changing lives through public engagement" and being a "community of belonging."

Anabel's is amazing! I am a huge baker and there are no other stores conveniently located that sells ingredients by weight like Anabel's does. It would be such a shame so see it go, especially when they are so affordably priced and have such a large variety compared to expensive and limited options nearby like Greenstar, Jansen's Market and Bear Necessities.

Anabel's has provided me with accessible, affordable, and high quality food on campus which would otherwise not be accessible to me as a student without a car. Anabel's has afforded me the ability to cook healthy meals for myself, that are within my budget, and do not require me to go to a large, unsustainable supermarket.

It is an accessible grocery store that provides affordable fresh ingredients to the cornell community. Without it, people have to go places that are not as easy to travel to as the bus system isn’t always reliable and it saves lots of time. And it’s a great community for those who have gotten to work there and rave about the amazing environment it creates

I am so grateful to Annabel’s for making nutritious and delicious food accessible and affordable to me during school. While being a full time student, working more hours to be able to afford better food wasn’t easy or sustainable, and thanks to Anabel’s I didn’t have to. Instead of surviving off of instant noodles and crackers, I was able to afford things like fresh produce, proteins, and even spices.

Anabel's is an essential campus resource. Its loss would be irreparable.

Anabel's is by far the most convenient and affordable option for me as someone who cannot regularly go to other grocery stores not within walking distance. It would greatly harm the well-being of Cornell students if Anabel's closed.

Anabel’s is a fundamental institution on campus for low income students. With rising costs of living and tuition, it is crucial for Cornell to help sustain Annabel’s to alleviate financial stress from low income students

Anabel’s was my crutch in school. I did not have a vehicle and was extremely busy in school - the fresh local produce and affordable bulk items helped me immensely with my health.

As someone from a low income family, Anabel’s was such an important part of my college experience. It provided a close and important source of accessible healthy food in Ithaca to struggling students like myself. I did most of my grocery shopping on campus as I lived off campus. Annabels is so important to so many of us.

I have a passion and career goal of helping communities gain access to affordable, fresh, and nutritious food and the course that Anabel's offers could help to further engage my learning. I am not alone in this, and helping equip students with skills and perspectives for combatting these issues is essential. In addition, adequate nutrition is essential for going on to advance other aspects of life, like academic success which is strived for at Cornell. If we remove something that enables students to deepen their learning, then we are hypocritical to this institutions values.

I love Anabel's because of the fresh produce and accessabilities it provides.

Anabels has helped me eat healthy when I don’t have time to go grocery shopping off campus. The convenience and value has really helped me over the last two years

Anabel's has such interesting foods and at prices I can afford as a college student. It brings diversity to my diet and a smile to my face!

Anabel's provides both a valuable service and vital sense of community on Cornell's campus. It is such a staple of the Cornell community as well as providing a deeply impactful role for many by providing access to affordable, healthy food. It serves, too, as an excellent example of we can create a brighter future. It is unthinkable to consider closing Anabel's, and reflects very poorly onto the administration if they were to do so.

Anabel's is a transformative experience in community building and provides amazing hands on work exposure for the students who run the store. No one type of student will suffer from this decision. This will send ripples throughout the student body.

Anabels saves lives. The store became my primary source of affordable, high quality food last year. Other healthy options are inaccessible for low income students by cost and can also be difficult to access using public transportation.

College is expensive- though I have not personally used Anabel’s Grocery, I know that it has helped a lot of students go to class with a full stomach, ready to focus on coursework.

All CTA projects are powerful and necessary.

Anabel’s is an essential component of making a Cornell education accessible to any person. I find it very concerning as an alum in academia that during a time when there is an attack on funding for higher education, this uncertain time where we are unsure what academia will look like in the near future, the University would pull funding for the essential social justice projects of the CTA.

Places like Anabel’s are extremely important for low-income students at Cornell!

Anabel’s and Prisoner Express were fundamental parts of my Cornell experience. Shutting these programs down would be a major loss to current and future Cornellians as well as the larger Ithaca community. Cornell needs to stand by “any person any study.”

In a time when various forces are trying to destroy education and community, it would be shameful to drop our support for community-strengthening initiatives like CTA.

Anabel’s has made my life at Cornell immeasurably better. Cheap high quality food! Something that Cornell dining can’t provide! Please don’t take away what makes Cornell so special.

Anabel's has provided nutritious food to many who are not able to afford nutritious food.

Anabel have made it very affordable and convenient for upperclassmen like me to get groceries.

This is so important to surviving at cornell as a low-income student. Please save it

Anabel’s was the only way I was able to afford and access fresh/healthy food as an undergrad. It’s a staple of the student community and will be a huge disservice to current and future students to let it close.

I love trying the bread and getting a different type of juice each time

I have enjoyed the prices of their food and appreciate the course's ability to educate students on food production.

Anabel’s has really helped me save both money and time in grocery shopping as it is cheaper than the collegetown stores and includes products from stores in downtown that take a lot of time and effort to get to. I also love the warm and friendly community here, and have met so many wonderful people throughout the past two years I have been involved!

The Durland Alternative library has been the most welcoming place on campus to me. I have spent countless hours there studying, the librarian there has helped me with invaluable research, and I don't know what my undergraduate experience would have been without it.

I’ve been broke in college, and Annabel’s has been the only way I was able to eat healthy food on my budget. Without it I wouldn’t have been nearly as healthy, and when school is already hard, I found that eating well saved my mental and physical well being.

Anabel’s is more than just a grocery store, I have met some of my closest friends from Anabel’s and I truly don’t know what I would have done without it.

As a vegetarian, I love going to Anabel’s because they always have great, affordable options for me. The Anabel’s community is so lovely and welcoming. I would be so sad to see it go when it has been such a great part of Cornell for years.

Open Doors English is needed now more than ever! It was born during the first Trump administration in defiance of the limits to both who can participate and what is taught that were suddenly enacted at the BOCES English as a second language program. It does far more than teach English to anyone. It provides a safe community and connections to local services needed by new immigrants and refugees. Cutting the funds to Center for Transformative Action is an endorsement of the unlawful and heinous acts of the current Trump Administration. I am ashamed to be an alumnus of Cornell as I watch it step repeatedly away from inclusion and democracy.

Anabel's, as well as many other CTA projects, tangibly impact the well-being of our community. Having healthy, affordable groceries available on campus is one more way to fight student food insecurity, especially for those students without cars. At this time when it is even more important to strengthen our local supports and infrastructures, I hope Cornell is able to help CTA and initiatives such as Anabel's continue their valuable work.

Anabel's has been a consistent source for affordable produce and food source and also a way to support local businesses.

Anabel's provided me and friends with free and affordable food when we needed it most.

Anabel's has provided me community and the feeling that my work has a widespread impact. The ability to access healthy and diverse foods in Ithaca, especially for students living off-campus, is a fundamental right that cannot be taken away.

My time at Cornell was significantly improved by the support from the CTA. Anabel’s was so incredibly accessible, as a low income student living off campus without a car, Anabels was often the reason I was able to afford and visit a grocery store between classes and work shifts. I frequented CUSLAR and Durland events, and especially as an active member of the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement, my time spent engaging with the Ithaca community constantly was facilitated by places like Einhorn and CTA- these experiences defined my time at Cornell and undeniably influenced my academic and professional trajectories. Hearing that the CTA programs are in danger is incredibly worrisome and heartbreaking, especially as an alum who had the privilege of such easy access to all those incredible programs fearing for the future students who could have that robbed from them.

Anabel’s always brightens my day. It allows me to eat healthier and fresher products. Anabel’s supports local farms and supports its customers!

Ending support for the Center for Transformative Action would be a short sighted and counterproductive mistake. CTA has guided countless students into thoughtful and meaningful activities with a steadying hand as they seek to become positive change makers in their communities. Removing the support and guidance won’t stop creative, enthusiastic student action; it will only deprive students of the mentorship, guidance, and critique that turns random action into educational experience.

annabel’s was frequently my only source of fresh produce

Anabel’s is a massive support for students. Not only is it convenient, the affordable price is so important for student who live on a low budget. I save a huge amount of money by buying groceries from Anabel’s. They also offer local and seasonal produce which is so eco friendly!

Have provided a great source of food and bonding as my friend and I have loved to bond over a shared love for Anabels!

having access to healthy food ON CAMPUS is critical to students! And this project empowers and educates students with real life skills.

Anabels is by far my favorite grocery store in town. The prices and bulk system feel accessible for me to try new things. For a while, I had trouble affording food at my last apartment and it helped a lot to have accessible groceries and spices.

I took the Anabel's class, enjoyed many community dinners, and shopped at Anabel's for affordable produce and pantry staples during my four years at Cornell. Anabel's is an essential source of fresh, healthful food for the Cornell community, and provides students with an enriching community centered around food justice.

Healthy food options in Ithaca are expensive and Anabel's afforded me the ability to eat healthier options without financial ramifications. This in result allowed me to better be able to take care of my body and mind, while also feeling more connected to the broader Ithaca community through the local products and partnerships available at Anabel's.

Anabels is a place where I can get affordable food. Especially as a student without a car or a bus pass, it's very difficult for me to get fresh food including vegetables and fruits. Anabels is a way for me to make healthy food. Anabels is a lifesaver.

Annabel’s has been such a important place to get inexpensive fresh and organic food. I love the community feel, and the little recipe bags they make or the free food they provide. It has become especially important after moving off campus, and having affordable produce that close to home has been so nice.

I urge Cornell to continue supporting the CTA and Anabel's Grocery, to honor their stated commitments to climate action and justice. The university is spending well over $10 million dollars on new fake plastic athletic fields made of toxic petrochemicals. How can they credibly claim that they cannot continue to support this program, which is only a small fraction of that cost, and much better aligned with the university's values?

I liked that it provided me with healthy locally grown food options. Cornell should prioritize its funding and not cut it and I believe it aligns with Cornell’s priorities such as healthy and productive student body.

Anabel's has been a corner of this community. It makes campus feel more like home, offers a safe reprieve from the bustle of life here, and helps so many of us afford fresh healthy food when it is otherwise difficult. Endangering CTA feels like a mark against our progress and our care for upholding communities across Cornell and Ithaca.Ma

Anabel’s grocery has been a staple during my time at Cornell, and it has greatly impacted my ability to access affordable and healthy grocery shopping option on campus as a student from low income background.

During my time at Cornell, Anabel’s was a needed community space and resource for thousands of students. It was the only affordable place to get fresh produce for those without a car, and the memories of the Wednesday rush at noon will always resonate with me. It is such a positive environment and acts as a sanctuary for many students.

I like their cheap eggs.

This is ludicrous. Use some of those billions going towards turf on programming that really matters in the fabric of our shared humanity. A disgrace otherwise. Another part of the damn destruction of what is sacred in this world.

This was a great source of nutritious and reasonably priced food!

For years until my retirement, my local farm participated in the Healthy Food for All program (first a project of Co-op Extension and then of CTA). Like like Anabel's, HFFA helped ensure food security for countless local individuals in need. No, no, no to disfunding CTA!

Anabel’s connected me with my peers and allowed my access to fresh, local food at times when buying groceries was stressful due to cost and/or location. Community dinners were a joyful respite, particular after the isolation from the cornell community that covid brought on.

I personally know people who learned English at Open Doors English. They are able to be productive members of our community because they can navigate and participate fully in society. Cutting funding for CTA will reduce their chances for success at a time when they need all the help they can get.

Anabels is a rare source of affordable and quality food on campus that does not require a car to get to. Every week, I used to stop by Anabels to get daily necessities. Losing Anabels would have legitimately halved the amount of food I had at home, and I would be left hungry more days than not. If you care about your students, even the idea of removing Anabels should seem wrong.

Creating a just sustainable world starts with a circular economy putting food as a public good, especially for low-income students. Having a place like Anabel’s where students can buy food locally without waste on campus reduces student needs for a car, helping the environment and allows one to save money for other more important things (like rent…sigh…).

During my time at Cornell as an undergrad and then (underpaid) grad student, Anabels was an essential resource for me to get fresh seasonal produce and daily pantry items at subsidized rates, especially with the convenience of being on campus. The wealth inequality in the student population at Cornell is vast, and removing Anabels would widen this already large gap. Campus meal plans are unaffordable for many, and for students without cars, options like Aldi and Wegmans turn into 2 hour round trips by bus. Food insecurity in the student population is very real, and Anabels is a welcoming and essential campus resource. I also appreciated their carefully designed recipe lists, meant to be made with ingredients made with Anabels. Anabels helps low income students eat affordably and healthily.

Anabel's makes it accessible, feasible, and convenient to eat real food while managing the demands and budget of college. (saves a ton of time, especially if you don't have a car on campus) On a broader scale, it is imperative that Cornell continues to invest in equipping their students to improve local food systems as these will/are becoming increasing pertinent as Climate Change's impacts grow.

Anabel's ensured that I had quality affordable groceries within walking distance. It was a crucial part of my undergraduate career, keeping me well fed without a huge time sink.

Annabel’s is the only affordable and accessible grocery store near student housing. All other options require a bus ride (which is not dependable), uber or car.

Anabels grocery is essential to Cornell students eating healthy fresh food. Groceries in ithaca are only reachable by car which is not accessible to most students. Greenstar has limited offerings and is extremely expensive. Anabels saves students both time and money and supports the wellness of thousands of Cornell students.

Anabels and CTA have introduced my to some of the most inspiring, creative people. CTA has helped me connect with the Ithaca community and truly shaped my experience at Cornell.

Since moving off campus as a junior at Cornell and having to grocery shop and cook all of my meals, Anabel’s grocery has given me an affordable and healthy grocery option that is also convenient for its less than 10 minute walking distance from my apartment. As a student with a very limited budget I cannot express enough how helpful having a grocery store with high quality affordable food is when as a full time student I don’t have enough time to work more hours a week than I already do(over 20) just to afford groceries.

Since I found Anabel's in freshman year, it has completely transformed my college experience. As someone who has struggled with food insecurity in the past, it has been a constant source of affordable produce and knowledge. Anabel's creates a common ground for students interested in culinary, sustainable agriculture, economics, climate change, and endless subjects that converge around food justice. It offers a community where Cornellians can celebrate cooking, can share part of home while gaining more insight into the Ithaca farming/dining scene. While working at the store and engaging in Collaborative Education events, I've heard perspectives that have awakened me to the numerous problems with American food systems. I attribute so many connections I cherish to Anabel's: there is a culture of empathy and activism around this project that isn't always present on campus. This university fosters a cut-throat environment in which undergraduates often feel uncared for, but Anabel's works in contrast to this trend by nourishing the student body. I'm abroad now and the thought of returning to a Cornell without Anabel's is unbareable.

Anabel’s grocery has been a vital part of my Cornell experience. From being a store that I can easily buy cheap and fresh foods on my way back from class to teaching my friends and I more about supporting local food sources, I believe that Anabel’s has been a positive impact on both us the students as well as the local communities around us. Cornell is in a unique location unlike most other universities and it should make the most of our plentiful connections to food chains and farmers near us.

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.

Anabel's saved my life.

Anabel's demonstrates that there is an alternative to super-sized grocery stores and product shipped from 1000s of miles away. Anabel's provides a community resource, an outlet for local farmers and producers, and helps focus the Cornell community on the importance of good, local food. Rather than shuttering Anabel's, I would like to see it actively supported and integrated more fully into the community - allowing student meal credits, providing additional products and services, and maybe more accessible / central retail space. Anabel's is also a great and unique teaching tool for the student-entrepreneurs that have an opportunity to plan and operate it. Please find a way to save Anabel's for these reasons and more!

Anabel’s spices by the ounce have saved my life as a Desi student living in a dorm who can’t store oodles of spices.

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. If Anabel's shuts down as a result of Cornell's decision to withdraw funding from the CTA, this 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. To Cornell University: reverse this decision immediately. It may be shocking, but your students' health and wellbeing is of greater importance than shareholder value. Do what is right.

These projects not only help students but they help the community as well!

I have frequently shopped at Anabel's grocery, the prices are affordable and the food is good quality. The location is very convenient, whether I was living in Collegetown or on West.

I have shopped at Anabel’s when I couldn’t afford to buy groceries elsewhere in Ithaca. It’s a shame that Cornell can’t continue funding but I hope it does because I know students like me will need it and access to food and food security is of vital importance.

Anabel's allowed me to get fresh, affordable food within walking distance of my collegetown apartment. I was able to get fresh bread and other ingredients that would otherwise be too expensive and inaccessible without a car. The diverse, local stock of food gave me exposure to new types of food and allowed me to support local farms and businesses. I remember joining large groups of students headed to Anabel's after class on Wednesdays to get first access to new items -- in addition to addressing food insecurity on campus, Anabel's acts as a cultural and community touchpoint for all Cornell students.

Ithaca's cost of living is already extremely high compared to the surrounding area. Anabel's is one of the few areas on campus that supports struggling or less privileged students, allowing them to continue their studies here. It is disappointing that funding has been withdrawn when existing support for low-income students is already abysmally low, and I worry about what future students will have to do to make end's meet.

Annabel’s is such a vital part of gaining access to healthy and nutritious meals/food on campus. Sometimes the dining hall food don’t cater as well as they could and Annabel’s has saved me multiple times from starvation.

Anabel’s has been such an affordable and convenient option for me, especially since I don’t have a car. It’s also so nice to get groceries from a store that values sustainability, and has such a great community.

Anabel’s is such an essential program at Cornell. It has become such a unique community space that does not exist in any other way. It provides essential grocery services for students on a budget and also is an incredible collaborative space for other food related activities, especially with the farm! I think it is one of the most essential spaces on campus and I learned so much from the class and collaborating with the Anabels team.

Anabel has always been a place that I knew I could rely on for affordable groceries whenever I needed it. I always buy my nuts and fruit there.

Most of the food on cornell’s campus is so abysmal and inflated in price. However, Anabel’s grocery is the only mainstay that provides incredible food at such affordable prices. I cannot even begin to count the number of times Anabel’s has fed me.

Anabel's is one of several CTA projects that have had enormous impact. Its creation was driven by an identifiable, existing need and it filled a gap that university administration could or would not fill. Cutting funding to Anabel's and its sister projects in the CTA, particularly during a period of exacerbated economic and social hardship, is a slap in the face of current students and of alum.

Anabel’s welcoming community as well as helping battle food insecurity and keeping food local is something that has helped me stay fed and healthy while studying at Cornell.

I’m a low-income student who works but struggles financially, and I could not have afforded quality produce and other groceries without the help of Anabel’s Grocery.

I love the community and as a student on financial aid makes my living costs much more feasible given I have limited financial resources.

I rely on Annabel’s for fresh groceries that are close to my dorm.

Anabel's has been one of the academic and social highlights of our daughter's time at Cornell since arriving as a freshman (CALS '27). We hear constantly about what Anabel's means to her personally, in terms of community AND skill-building, and to the students and food producers they serve.

Anabel's is really convenient for students like me who do not have a car on campus and want a more affordable way to purchase groceries.

Anabel’s has provided healthy sustainable food for the community for ages. They’ve created a space for low-income communities to have access to affordable healthy food and supporting local businesses with their store. They’ve created spaces for students to grow and continually build their community. They’re a pillar to Cornell and Ithaca.

An incredible growth experience and opportunity for the students. My daughter enjoyed real life practical experience on which you cannot pay a price. Please save Anabel’s.

Anabel's is an incredibly affordable and accessible place to get fresh food, especially for students like me who don't have cars.

Anabels allows underprivileged people to find convenient affordable food.

Anabel’s literally gave me a reason to look forward to my day….especially in this economy.

Anabel’s and other CTA projects have an immensely positive impact on Cornell, Ithaca, and extended communities. Anabel’s is the only place on campus that takes SNAP for goodness sake. By upping Cornellians’ connections to people on-campus (by helping run or by visiting Anabel’s) or away from campus (by participating in the Prisoner Express letter exchange), CTA improves Cornell as a whole. Please don’t shutter this center or Anabel’s!

Invaluable on campus resource

Anabels library was a safe, quiet space for me to go during my first semester at Cornell. When I was dealing with some of my most difficult health issues I would come to anabels to just relax for a bit; the atmosphere is great and provides students with a lot of comfort on a campus that has very few common spaces.

Anabel’s offers affordable, organic, and fresh foods which very little markets in the Collegetown area do. 7-eleven is not a place for fresh OR affordable produce and Green Star is HIGHLY expensive. Anabel’s not only provides great food at amazing prices but the student workers are nice and really care about the customers! The layout of the grocery is easy to navigate, friendly, and not overwhelming. Anabel’s Grocery has been a big part of my health and wellness journey!

Anabel’s has been an amazing resource for students. We need to keep it alive!

As one of the many lower income students at Cornell, this resource was the only thing keeping me fed when I lived off campus. If you really believe that saving less than 0.1% of the operating budget is worth leaving your students hungry, I suggest you test out the new nets under the gorge.

I have seen firsthand how Anabel's has been a shining light on campus and filled a much needed role in combating student food insecurity

Let’s keep food accessible and affordable!!

Anabel’s provides convenient affordable groceries which allows all Cornell students to not only maintain a healthy living standard, but obtain a sense of dignity within their daily lives. It personally provides me with tangible access to healthful foods, but also with faith that we can bring hope and compassion into more campus initiatives.

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.

As a student without a car, this was the most accessible and affordable option for groceries.

As a student living off campus without a car, Anabel’s is by far the easiest and most affordable way to get fresh produce as well as grains and snacks. Having it on campus so that we can stop on our way home is utterly essential to the nutrition of many students, specifically lower income students. Cutting its funding is a direct gut punch to not only sustainable initiatives on campus, but students who rely on it to nourish themselves.

Anabels has shown me how community can impact the land and its people.

Being a low-income student, Anabel's is an invaluable resource for fresh, affordable produce. I often go there to purchase foods that Cornell's dining program - although generous - does not allow easy access to. I'm currently in treatment for several nutritional deficiencies, and Anabel's takes a lot of stress away by making it easy and affordable to procure my own nutritonally-dense snacks and meals. Beyond just me, Anabel's represents Cornell's commitment to sustainability. They're a pivotal component of student-led environmental efforts an campuses, always present participating in and creating events for the community. To allow them to shutter their doors would be disappointing, and in opposition to Cornell's perceived interest in the well-being of its students.

It’s a great and affordable grocery store. I get my eggs from there

Grocery shopping is extremely difficult in Ithaca, especially as a student with no car. Fresh produce are not only extremely expensive at the local Greenstar and 7-11 but also not always fresh, which makes it difficult for me to eat a healthy diet. That is why I heavily depend on Anabel’s to ensure I am eating properly throughout the week as I can purchase fresh produce on a need-basis. I never feel the need to “stock up” on ingredients because I can go so often (easily accessible) and this way, my ingredients don’t end up rotting in the fridge. SAVE ANABELS. ( I am also a broke college student. I need help buying food !!)

Anabel’s has been my main source of groceries offering affordable prices and a close location to shop on campus. I have loved being a regular customer as it has lightened the stress and financial burden of grocery shopping.

Anabel’s was my first experience in working with the local Ithaca community and helped me in becoming a better more well-rounded person.

I have worked alongside hundreds of social-impact-driven students at Anabel’s Grocery over the past four years, and I can confidently say that the connections I’ve formed and the lessons I’ve learned have been the most impactful part of my college experience. Anabel’s not only provides healthy, affordable foods at the center of the university’s campus but also fosters a learning environment that prioritizes community building, cross-campus collaboration, and knowledge exchange. Once I leave this institution, it will be the experiences from this organization that I will be proud to share and build upon through my future social justice endeavors. The tens of thousands of people served by CTA projects are a testament to how local action can produce a series of positive rippling effects, and it should be Cornell’s priority to support such efforts in its mission 'to do the greatest good.’

As an international student who isn’t ultra rich and have no means to drive or the time to ride the bus to grocery stores each week, Anabel’s has provided me affordable basic nutrition every day. It’s proximity and base level prices has given me financial peace of mind and has encouraged me to eat healthier without having to pay absurd prices like at green star or 711. It also support local businesses and is currently the only place I trust on campus to take compost.

Going to Anabel’s was always the highlight of my week! I didn’t have a car during my undergrad or master’s at Cornell, so it was hard to get to a grocery store that offered reasonably priced produce, even though my friends and I loved to cook together. Growing up, there were times my family didn’t have the money for fresh groceries, and I often went to school hungry during these times. I’ve always been anxious when it comes to buying food as a result, especially at Cornell where it seemed like not many other people knew what that was like. Anabel’s was my favorite place to get groceries in Ithaca because I never felt this anxiety there; the emphasis on including people of all backgrounds made me feel welcome and appreciated. I hope that Anabel’s continues for years to come so future students like me have the same opportunity.

Anabel’s makes fresh produce and healthy, sustainable food options accessible to students on campus. This is an extremely important resource to have, especially for those who are off the meal plan and want a convenient source of food nearby.

Anabel’s is not only an affordable and accessible source of groceries for students, but also a means of bridging the gap between students and the local food system.

It’s really fun to go to Anabel’s cuz the variety of the spices. I don’t have to buy a huge pack. The eggs are cheap and fresh.

I love annabel’s the opportunity to have locally sourced produce at a lower price makes cooking at home accessible to me!

Anabel’s is so helpful for reducing my stress because on a busy day I can get affordable groceries on my way home instead of needing to block off time in my busy schedule to find a ride to and from the store. I have a ton of allergies so I can’t eat most places and need to buy/cook my own food which is hard without a car

Anabel’s has truly made doing the food shop more accessible and less financially daunting for me, thank you!

I love Anabel's and it is a great resource for students. Please keep it.

Anabel’s gives me the opportunity to get fresh and affordable groceries without having to take a bus across town to get them. Without Anabel’s I would struggle to find the time to get the nutrition I need to thrive at Cornell. Anabel’s created community for many student and facility. We share a love for our community and express it through sharing recipes, recommendations, and community events. Students need Anabel’s.

Anabel has had a strong impact on not just me, a Cornell Alumna, but also my peers. It was a place for affordable food and joyful memories that I will cherish for awhile.

Anabel's Grocery has been transformative to many of my students. Having a low-cost grocery with fresh produce and other staples right on campus makes up for what otherwise is a food desert. Students without a car or time to take the bus to grocery stores are able to eat nutricious, homemade food. GreenStar is the only other store near campus but it has higher prices. Please keep this valuable offering open. Do not defund Anabel's.

My good friends are apart of running Anabel's and I always get my local produce from them.

Anabels has provided affordable, accessible groceries, including halal food, in years where I did not have a meal plan. They are an essential service that makes healthy whole foods available to the Cornell community.

Anabel was my home!! I can’t believe Cornell is considering shutting it down, I would only get food from here because it’s so natural!!

Anabel’s helped me during a hard time in my life when I was struggling with my weight. I had little to no fat in my diet as most dining halls lack nuts/nut butters. When I discovered Anabel’s, I was delighted by the affordable prices and variety of nuts. I was able to gain enough weight to feel healthy each day! Anabel’s helped me so much with my ED, and I still go to it several times a week; it is always the highlight of my day!!

The sense of community Anabel’s is unlike anything else I’ve experienced at Cornell. We need this affordable, student-first program!!

I always shop there. I love the organic food at Anabel’s.

They make grocery shopping affordable and take away one thing for me to stress about

They are so affordable and convenient for students. Please don’t shut them down!!

I used to love going to Anabel’s. They always had great local produce, baked goods, and dairy products, as well as other good stuff. I also loved that I could pour my own spices and other loose goods. I also became good friends with a girl who worked there so it was important to my social life as well. It would be a huge loss to the Cornell community to lose Anabel’s

Annabel’s provides cheaper groceries for students and also serves as community

Love the kombucha!

It’s helped me get affordable groceries conveniently. Just has made my life so much easier and has helped me save a lot of money.

Anabel’s has done more than just providing affordable groceries to students; it’s created a community that I am so grateful to have been impacted by. Seeing my peers’ commitment to sustainability and food justice is inspiring, and their hard work makes this a group that I am proud to be a part of. Anabel’s promotes nutrition, educates students, and spreads joy! Without Anabel’s, students would not only miss the warmth of this community, but many would be left with no accessible source of nutritious and affordable food.

I rely on Anabel's for fresh and affordable food. Losing Anabel's would mean the loss of a student-run community space that benefits so many students.

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I know the Durland Alternatives Library has been a source of community and enrichment for many close friends! I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the director Gary.

It is the only easy to access, affordable grocery store on campus. As someone without a car, it has saved me multiple times.

Anabel’s is amazing and provides fresh food to us students! We need it

Anabels has offered me great, easy access groceries at a good price point. I think it really brings a lot of cornell community together and provides a convenient food option for kids who struggle to find the time to get groceries.

I get fresh eggs and vegetables. I also do not have a car, so it is accessible to me.

Anabel ensures that we find fresh healthy foods right on campus. It is like no other store in the neighborhood, allowing people to choose quantities of produce you want ensuring minimal waste. It was the highlight of of my week to browse through their rich variety of greens and fresh vegetables and shop for my favorites.

I worked at Anabel's and was also a regular customer during my time at Cornell. I learned so much from my time there and met people I would've never had the opportunity to interact with otherwise, and I am so sad to hear that Anabel's may not be there as a safe haven for students in the future. By funding access to healthy, whole foods for Cornell students, you are investing in the physical and mental wellbeing of the community as well.

Anabel’s is more than just a class or a grocery store. It’s a safe and intimate community that was built across the years with all working towards a more equitable and sustainable food system. Having food is a privilege but also a necessity and I believe this privilege should be enjoyed by all.

Anabel’s provides me with another trustworthy location on campus to get food needs. It provides students with another resource during our busy days of academia. It is easily accessible especially from central campus. It would be a devastating loss for all students, staff, faculty, or anyone who uses Anabel's as a resource.

Anabel’s is a crucial resource for the Cornell community. Without a car on campus, I rely heavily on the store for affordable and accessible groceries. Cutting funding for Anabel’s puts students’ food security in jeopardy.

Anabels provides students with the ability to eat healthy produce

I am a parent. Anabel’s was the main attraction for my daughter when she applied to Cornell and when she decided to attend Cornell. Anabel’s aligns with her personal passion and mission to address food insecurity and address climate change by selling local farmers’ goods at the store. It has been a community where she has grown and thrived. Anabel’s serves a critical role on campus for students’ experiential learning and for those who shop there. It must be preserved.

Anabel's was an essential campus resource to access healthy and affordable food. The programming offered through Anabel's were also amazing opportunities to meet people and learn new skills -- new recipes, pickling, you name it. Anabel's is an invaluable organization, and it helps hundreds of students to engage more meaningfully with their food system.

Annabel’s has been a very convenient part of my experience living off campus, as I do not have a car and am able to pick up necessities for an affordable price. There are no good alternatives to switch to if Anabels was to shut down.

Anabels provides affordable and sustainable food and is one of the best most generous orgs on campus

Anabel’s is an incredible place for affordable, accessible, nutritious food on campus that is student-run! Please save its funding.

Seeing all the students work so hard at Anabel's made me want to support the team and impact that they had on campus. Everyone who knew about Anabel's were first and foremost so pationate about their cause and were happy to have affordable groceries because being a student at Cornell is already tough on top of extracurriculars and just trying to rest and recover after school. When I'm looking for my grocery basics, I would always walk up from Collegetown to get my items and we were always greeted with the smile and hardworking students there. Not having Anabel's or the other CTA Projects continue to be funded would seriously impact the founding principle of Cornell, "Any person, any study". I wouldn't have known anything about food/grocery sustainability or quality food if it weren't for me stumbling across the store after hearing about it from a friend. It's important to see as many organizations possible on a college campus working with locals to expand our knowledge as a student and person.

Seeing all the students work so hard at Annabel’s made me want to support the team and impact that they had on campus. Everyone who knew about Anabal’s were first and foremost so patients about their cause and were happy to have affordable groceries because being a student at Cornell is already tough on top of extracurriculars and just trying to rest and recover after school. When I’m looking for my grocery basics, I would always walk up from Collegetown to get my items and we were always greeted with the smile and hardworking students there. Not having Annabel’s or the other CTA Projects continue to be funded would seriously impact the founding principle of Cornell, “Any person, any study”. I wouldn’t have known anything about food/grocery sustainability or quality food if it weren’t for me stumbling across the store after hearing about it from a friend. It’s important to see as many organizations possible on a college campus working with locals to expand our knowledge as a student and person.

Anabel has helped so much with providing fresh groceries at an affordable price to all the students, including me, on campus. They are extremely vital as good food is necessary for us to work through our jobs and classes

Anabel’s enhances campus accessibility to healthy groceries, especially for students who do not have a car. I have been able to purchase affordable groceries for years on campus because of this store.

Anabel's is the only way I’m able to save money and actually eat something during the school year. I don’t have a car and taking the bus to the grocery stores takes over an hour and I have too much work to do that. Anabel's is the way I’m able to have something other than pasta everyday and get vegetables and eggs.

Anabel’s has made it so much easier to shop as an undergraduate student. My family struggles to provide me with money for groceries and living expenses because of Cornell’s high tuition price. Anabel’s is the only affordable food option near me that allows me to stay within my living expense budget and eat healthy.

It provides an easy place on campus for affordable and easily accessible food. This is something that is super important especially for anyone who lives in college town and does not have accessible to places like the farmers market or trader joes

Annabel’s is one of the only places to buy affordable food near Ithaca, it is difficult to afford food in college town and not a lot of people have cars to go to other groceries. It would be very disappointing if this option were taken away.

What is good for one of us is good for all of us. I support this simply because it will help others.

Anabel’s grocery is a crucial part of our community, it allows people to eat when they otherwise might not be able to. Removing the funding from this organization would result significant and tragic loss to the Cornell community.

Anabel’s is a vital part of the Cornell experience and provides convenient access to healthy and nutritious foods.

Anabell’s is a vital resource for our campus, taking it away would be devastating to the food security of our student community.

Anabel’s helped make fresh groceries affordable and convenient while I was in college.

I remember when I needed to make a shift to healthier eating habits - Anabel’s Grocery was an affordable, welcoming place to get that started. It would be a shame to see that go so soon. If anything, I think the University should lean further into supporting an organization that so obviously supports the health of its student body.

Anabel’s made fresh groceries more attainable for me both from a price and location standpoint as a student in Ithaca without a car and with financial struggles.

The fact that we have a grocery store on campus that provides us students with affordable food is absolutely amazing and something that should be among the last on a list that is taken away due to budget shortfalls. Cornell is a multi-billion dollar institution and that fact that it won't donate the extra funds needed to keep these amazing organizations running is deeply worrying.

Anabel's was my first introduction to what local, affordable, healthy, fresh and accessible food truly is. As a graduate student earning barely above the minimum wage in Ithaca, Anabel provided me with the ability to maintain a healthy diet while pursuing my degree. It is a mainstay of the Cornell community, a point of Big Red pride, and has become a cornerstone of many Cornellian's day to day, including mine. Of all programs whose funding should be prioritized, CTA and its support for Anabel's should be on the top of the list.

Anabel's has allowed me to gain access to high-quality and affordable produce. As a busy college student with limited financial budget, Anabel's has made living in Ithaca much more manageable and enjoyable.

As a grad student, we do not earn as much to begin with! Annabels have been a saving grace for a lot of grad students as it provides affordable food for all student no matter who you are. It's a shame that Cornell is not supporting this impactful initiative.

Anabel's is an amazing resource for students who have limited budget for groceries. I have been able to obtain fresh, high-quality, local, organic produce from Anabel's throughout my undergraduate career and it has contributed greatly to both my physical and mental health. Whenever I go into Anabel's, I feel immediately welcomed and always enjoy chatting with the community there. The possibility of this resource being shut down is indicative that Cornell does not value social justice, and is clearly not prioritizing lower-income students. Driving to the grocery stores in Ithaca requires a car, is time-consuming, and expensive -- resources that many of us do not have access to.

i love visiting anabels. its fun and the prices are really nice. the eggs are yum.

I wish there was something like Anabel's when I was a student back in 1975-1979. The amount of goodwill that something like Anabel's provides is impossible to quantify.

It has always been my go to place for fresh and reasonable groceries and day to day stuff. I can’t imagine it not being on Cornell campus. Please save it!! At all cost

Anabel’s has been a super important part of my life living off campus on Cornell. Losing this store would leave me unable to get affordable groceries of high quality.

Anabel’s is an extremely unique and inspiring corner of the Cornell universe. It’s the kind of place that makes Cornell feel like a unique and dynamic community and not just a generic educational institution. It provides so much more than just nourishment, and to lose it would be tragic. Please understand the incalculable presence of this gem- because it really is irreplaceable.

Anabel’s Grocery is a valued member of Zero Waste Ithaca’s Reuse Sticker Program and the only place on campus where students can buy groceries in bulk—just the amount they need—using their own containers. It operates within the CTA Projects, which supports numerous other vital initiatives. Cornell University’s decision to cut its funding demonstrates a troubling lack of foresight and commitment to justice and sustainability.

I just started working at Annabel’s this semester and I can already see the impact that it’s presence has on its students. Annabel’s addresses the rising food insecurity across campus as food prices across supermarkets skyrocket and grocery stores continue to be inaccessible to a majority of students due to irregular bus schedules and time constraints.

I work with several CTA organizations and it filled me with pride to see that my university was sponsoring such amazing and diverse initiatives to improve the lives of so many individuals. These programs are part of what makes Cornell so special, part of what makes us stand out. It feels as though Cornell is slowly losing touch with what makes it unique, and losing the parts that made me proud to attend this school.

Anabel’s has given me easy and affordable access to local produce. This is important to my health and well-being as a student at Cornell University. I also believe that my friends who have worked in Anabel’s have immensely benefitted from the hands-on experience. Furthermore, with Cornell’s considerable population, Anabel’s is also a platform for local businesses to expand their brand.

When I moved into my own apartment in Collegetown in junior year, Anabel was where I got most of my groceries because it provided the highest quality and affordable food I could find. It was a staple of my college years.

I have worked at anabels for over a year. This store has provided me with such an amazing community and has given me so so much. I cannot describe how special this place is to me and the people that shop there.

Anabel's always gave me easy access to nutritious and affordable food, it improved my undergrad experience a lot!

Anabel’s provided access to local, affordable food and was there to close the gap between trips to larger grocery stores (difficult to access because I didn’t have a car).

Anabel’s is a vital resource for Cornell students. It makes fresh, nutritious food affordable and accessible, and keeps the community healthy, focused, and energized. Losing it would be a huge loss for many who rely on it for more than a microwaved meal.

As a lot income student, Anabel's has been hugely helpful to my wellbeing. It is a place where I can get more affordable groceries while being able to hold to my values of supporting local businesses, organic farms, and fellow students. The atmosphere there is welcoming to everyone who enters, and I always leave the space feeling rejuvenated and uplifted. The lack of university support for Anabel's would be a tragedy and shows a disinterest for small scale student run efforts for campus, student, and community wellbeing.

Annabels groceries allows me to within walking distance of my residence shop affordable local produce that is healthy and great quality. As someone who's very environmentally conscious, I, like many others need avenues to integrate sustainability into my life. It would be extremely unfortunate for Cornell to take this away at a time when many students and faculty are looking for ways to create a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

I’m able to afford healthy and accessible groceries because of Anabel’s.

Anabel is the best!!! Its great to buy produce without ton of plastic with it! And I love that we can buy spices and grains in as little amount as we want!!!

This space has been invaluable to both students and staff, serving as a hub for transformational learning, collective support, and community upliftment. Removing it would be a profound loss to our campus. These spaces provide a type of support, education, and empowerment that no other areas on campus replicate. Cornell must continue funding these essential spaces and the leadership they foster. Defunding them and shifting the burden to alternative sources is not only harsh but also unrealistic. Spaces like Anabel’s and the Alternatives Library, which houses Prisoner Express, are irreplaceable pillars of our community. Their unique contributions enhance student experiences, provide critical resources, and cultivate a sense of belonging and social responsibility. Eliminating or underfunding them would be a disservice to the Cornell community. I urge the administration to recognize their immense value and commit to preserving them.

Anabel’s is so so important to the Cornell community and its loss would be felt by many. It is a community hub that benefits not only students but also many local vendors.

Anabel's provides an essential service for so many students struggling with food insecurity. It is a place that has built community and strengthens the character and care systems we have created on campus. It is vital that it continues.

Anabel has been a valuable resource in finding cheap and affordable produces to sustain grad family!!

My mom has been the director of CTA for my entire life and she has instilled in me a great respect for their mission. CTA bolsters our community - something we need now, more than ever. Cornell is making a huge mistake in refusing to honor their longstanding financial support of CTA.

Anabel’s allows me to buy fruits and veggies that would normally be supper expensive at a traditional grocery store. Since Anabel’s is on campus I don’t have to take a bus since I don’t have a car.

Anabel’s was a major reason I chose to attend Cornell. As a food science major deeply committed to building a reciprocal relationship with local farmers and the broader community, I was inspired by Cornell’s investment in making fresh, nutritious, and locally sourced food accessible to all students. Anabel’s embodies the values of sustainability, equity, and community engagement that Cornell claims to uphold. To withdraw its funding would be a disappointing failure to honor those principles. Had I known that Cornell would step back from this commitment, I would have seriously reconsidered my decision to attend. I urge the university to reinstate its support for Anabel’s and the essential role it plays on campus.

Anabel's grocery is what supports eating with food allergies and eating well while financially not well off on campus. It is a lifeline for students.

Anabel’s impact on the Cornell student body is too significant to see it go. I have witnessed the ways in which Anabels has positively supported students, not only in the ways of healthy and affordable food, but also creating opportunities for hands on learning and empathetic leadership. This would be a major loss to the Cornell community.

Im currently enrolled in Anabel’s grocery, I don’t believe any other class encapsulates what food justice is and why its needed as well as this. The thoughtful lectures by dr.wessels are incredibly insightful and the practicum component helps to ground these ideas in experience that cements whats learned in class.

Anabel’s is central to providing access to fresh and nutritious food for students on and off campus. Students enrolled in the corresponding course gained a greater knowledge of sustainable agriculture and how our food is cultivated, and they work additional hours to ensure that the store is well stocked and priced fairly. Losing Anabel’s would be a great loss to the student community at Cornell and students’ efforts to create a more sustainable food ecosystem on campus.

Anabel’s Grocery had a profound impact on my own time at Cornell and likely directly impacted my employment straight after graduation with a major grocery retailer in a district level position. I am incredibly grateful for the experiences I had working in procurement, marketing, and operations on campus. In addition to the vital role the physical space and organization plays for affordable food access on Cornell’s campus, the program and accompanying class provide invaluable life skills throughout each semester. As a student who was on a substantial financial aid package with a work study on campus-job and without a car, I know how tough it can be to find affordable groceries near campus. Anabel’s Grocery is essential to the wellbeing of Cornellians.

Annabel helps support students facing food insecurity. It’s a necessary addition to campus.

As a low income student without a car, fresh easily accessible groceries is very important to me. Just this past week I was able to get produce for the week at a price I was able to afford without needing to pay for a bus or high prices at a corporate grocery chain. This grocery store is not only filled with farm fresh food but I feel so good supporting fellow students.

Anabel’s grocery brought me so much joy as an undergrad. It always had such friendly staff and a vibrant community. Losing Anabel’s would be losing one of the rare spaces for genuine joy and community at Cornell that doesn’t require extensive applications and competition (I’m referring to extracurriculars). I know so many of my friends relied on Anabel’s for affordable healthy foods and even for their free food fridge which the Basic Needs Coalition often stocked. It makes me so sad to hear these news, I really hope that we can all fight back and secure a spot for Anabel’s to remain a part of Cornell.

As an international student, I highly appreciate having a subsidized grocery store. I am always happy to find good quality items at reasonable prices here!

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.

Anabels is the only place for highquality local produce as a freshman with no car

It would be a shame for Cornell to remove this access to healthy groceries for students without a car by ending funding of Anabel’s. As an alum and parent of a current Cornell student, I believe this change impacts not only students coming from families with lower incomes, but also students from middle class families struggling to pay tuition.

I took the Anabel’s course during the first semester of my junior year and worked in the store in the subsequent semesters. This course taught me about social enterprise in a real world setting and provided me with such a unique perspective on business. As a computer science student, I was able to meet students in other disciplines who shared the same passion for food justice. I not only learned about running a grocery store but I learned about local coops, farms, and food suppliers. Closing Anabel’s would not only take away this unique experience from students who take the course, it would also prevent students from getting affordable groceries on campus. Anabel’s was a highlight of my Cornell experience, and I hope that it can continue to be for future students.

Shopping at Anabel's has been helping me a lot. The products are fresh and highly affordable. It saves me so much time and money by not having to always go to supermarket stores.

I LOVE Anabels. As someone who loves making nutritious food for myself, anabels is the cheapest, freshest and most accessible grocery store near me since I do not have a car. The only other grocery option is green star, which is very overpriced and does not have good produce. I cannot emphasize enough that if you are a student who does not have a car and appreciates fresh food, the loss of Anabel’s will be devastating. It is so so disappointing that the administration is essentially removing this program that is making it easier for students to ACCESS GOOD PRODUCE.

As a college student who doesn't have a car and a busy hectic schedule, it is often difficult to find a place that where I can get groceries in a sustainable fashion. Anabel's is the perfect balance of convenience, sustainability, practical, and healthy and has saved me a lot of time and money.

During my time on campus, Anabel’s was extremely helpful to support my health and affordable eating. It was always the highlight of my day!

It’s where I go to get pantry staples, to get eggs, to get fresh produce. It’s cheap and affordable and I know I’m getting good products. And it’s right on campus. For an institution that claims to value sustainability, Cornell cannot take away Anabel’s.

I have not personally shopped at Anabel’s but I know how positively it affects those in need of affordable, high-quality groceries on campus.

Anabel’s gave me hope that Cornell was using its money for good. I think that by ending their non-profit endeavors, they should also end receiving tax cuts and actually start contributing their fair share to the Ithaca community. If they won’t do it themselves, someone should make them.

Anabel's is an awesome place for healthy and local foods. It’s hard to find something I can eat with dietary restrictions but Anabel's is an especially great and accommodating place that always has a variety of amazing options, unlike other places on campus. Student workers seem to learn so much from working at a place like this and it’s important for students to have access to groceries to learn how to cook and eat well. It’s imperative to have a store like this in Ithaca where affordable grocery shopping requires traveling pretty far and is difficult with no car. Keep Anabels running!

There are very few options for groceries near Cornell’s campus. Annabel’s is important as a place for students without cars to get affordable food.

Anabel's is a credit to the University and the values of its students. It empowers students to impact their immediate community in a tangible way. It provides a service that a proportion of students need. As a Cornell parent, I ask that you consider sustaining your current relationship with Anabel's and CTA.

Save Anabel’s!

Anabel's was a great place for me and others to get inexpensive, fresh groceries when I did not have a car. I know people who took the food systems class and found it a valuable learning experience as well. I sincerely hope that Cornell will do the right thing and support the CTA so Anabel's and other programs can continue to contribute to the community.

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. Nonetheless, especially after reading the other testimonials here, 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 is one of the only spaces on campus u step into and immediately feel welcomed and cared for. The concept as a whole is just what students need given the state of our world and country

When I was an undergraduate student (limited $ for groceries, even more limited time, and no car) Annabel’s was the only place that I could reliably get healthy groceries. That said, I know that many students may have needed and continue to need this resource even more than I did. I would be extremely disappointed to see Cornell stop providing such a helpful service to hardworking students.

CTA has done so much for the Cornell community and local community, and I would hate to see these programs lose essential funding. I firmly believe the decision not to renew this affiliation agreement goes against Cornell's values and goal of "doing the greatest good." I strongly urge the university leadership to reconsider this decision.

Everyone I know loves Anabel's and the services they provide to the community. They might have frustrations with other aspects of the Cornell community, but Anabel's is not one of them and should not be the target of defunding.

As an undergraduate student without a car, Annabel’s provided cheap, accessible, and healthy food for me and I am very grateful for it. I would’ve very disappointed to see them lose funding

Projects under CTA help so many people (Anabel's, Durland Alternatives Library, Prisoner Express, etc) and is one of the ways that cornell actually helps it's community and those beyond.

I love studying at the Alternatives Library, it's one of my favorite places on campus.

Food insecurity among college students is a real issue on U.S. campuses. Anabel’s grocery model is a thoughtful and effective way to address this issue at Cornell. With 95% of the grocery’s purchasing dollars going to local vendors and farms in 2023, it is also an effective “farm to food assistance” program with multiple wins.

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.

CTA’s work is incredibly important to fulfilling Cornell’s mission to do the greatest good and serve as influential world leaders, a mission that is currently being overshadowed. It must be financially secure as we go into this new year.

Support local!

Most students don't have a car, so the major grocery stores like Wegmans and tops are far out of reach. Anabels is one of the only places where students can reliably get healthy and affordable food

anabel's is my son's go to for food, and he especially raves about the bread! he enjoys cooking and anabel's is part of his routine. it would be a shame if it were gone.

When I was a student at Cornell, Anabel’s was a wonderful place to find affordable, healthy food and I am so grateful that it was a part of my experience at Cornell. I also was a regular user of the Alternatives library, and its role in the community as a drop-in space, a keeper of impactful literature, and home to outreach programs to the incarcerated community, is incredibly important. Please keep the CTA as a funded organization to ensure the support of these essential groups!

Anabel’s has been a tremendous to my personal growth. As a member of the team, I learned how I can contribute to the community in a meaningful way. This has ultimately given me more clarity for my career projection. And most importantly, Anabel’s is my family. When I first joined, I was a bit shy because nobody from my major do such thing. So it was amazing how we come together and create such a great thing together. We are now life-long friends that I’m truly grateful for.

Having volunteered at Anabel’s for the past 4 semesters, I’ve first hand been able to see and experience the impact it has on students. Especially for those without meal plans and access to easy transportation (like myself), there is no other place that provides access to affordable and high quality ingredients. Anabel’s has been an important part of my time as a student here, and it would be horrible to see it close because Cornell decided to stop partly funding its operations.

As former Cornell staff i have seen how CTA is a unique multiplier of goodwill in Ithaca. It is the successor to CURW and student activism of the 1970s. Seems like the university is targeting every project where freethinking people are putting their energies into building stronger communities but not in lockstep with market values. It will be a triple loss if funding can't be secured: for students, communities, and the university.

Anabel’s allowed me to access affordable groceries while living on campus without a car. Without it, students would have few options for groceries close to campus.

Anabel’s grocery is one of the few remaining good services that makes me willing to donate to cornell in the future if they get rid of it i will definitely not be donating as an alumni.

Anabel's have given me access to fresh and affordable groceries for all four years. It has also built a community for people on this campus. Without it, many people won't have access to fresh food.

My daughter’s a sophomore and shops often at Annabelle’s. One of the best things about Cornell is how it supports local farms and provides healthy options to the students

Anabel’s is an affordable grocery store accessible to ALL students, but also it’s an essential part of the Cornell community. Removing this resource will only harm the students and community.

Anabel’s connection to local farms like Dilllmun Hill helped me realize how wonderful it is to shop local. Everything was was affordable, and I was able to do a project for one of my courses with ingredients from Anabel’s without breaking the bank. Stopping by Anabel’s has been one of my favorite pastimes between campus and collegetown, and I have so many memories bringing friends into the wonderful space.

Community.

Anabel’s was such an easy, convenient, and affordable place to get ingredients and in-season produce. As someone who lived off campus and relied on cooking for myself, it was super important to find groceries that I could afford as a full time student who didn’t have a car to easily go to Trader Joe’s or Walmart when needed. Their kombucha on tap was my favorite summer pick me up on the way home from classes. Future students deserve to experience Anabel’s!!

I worked at Anabel's and shopped there regularly with friends as an undergrad. We had so many regulars, including local Ithacans, staff, and grad students, who relied on and enjoyed coming in to Anabel's for reasonably priced and diverse produce near campus. It was also a lifesaver for many busy students since Anabel's student volunteers could provide free meals from time to time, and the store had long hours most days of the week. Besides being an essential store for many students, the community was like no other and one of my favorite parts about Cornell!

Annabel is the most convenient place to get affordable and fresh produce.

Anabel’s is a beacon on Cornell campus providing cheap accessible local produce. I’ve been going for all four years of undergrad and have attended events like the Dilmun Hill fall harvest and many others. A truly special community.

The Anabel's community is like no other, I've been so inspired by seeing Cornellians coming together and putting in effort to positively impact the lives of thousands of people through providing affordable and accessible healthy food options for all.

Anabel’s gave me the ability to consistently access food despite my fluctuating budget as a student working 3 jobs and taking 22 credits for several semesters. The food security Anabel’s provides through its affordability and its opportunities for students is unmatched by any other Cornell institution.

Anabel’s has been such an amazing place to turn to for groceries and even for comfort. I love the community, and it has only brought me joy. Given that public transport isn’t the easiest thing to get by, having a grocery shop on campus makes cooking so accessible and affordable.

Anabel’s is an incredible store. It’s so important to have affordable food on campus.

affordable groceries!!! very community oriented!

Annabel’s makes healthy eating accessible for both on and off campus students, and is an integral part of students’ diets.

I live off Anabel’s, I need it to survive.

CTA's projects for us out of the Cornell bubble. They force us into the uncomfortable. They force us to acknowledge our privilege. But they do so in a way which builds community, in a way that encourages us to ask questions, and in a way that allows us to take risks, and challenge the status-quo. Not only is Anabel's an incredible class, with an incredible support network behind it, but countless (34) other CTA projects continue to drive change forward, as well. It would be a true shame to lose such a cornerstone of an organization and the work that has already been accomplished.

I am a low income student paying my way through school and having a place like Anabel’s on campus has helped me provide me and my partner with healthy food that we can afford. Taking away this resource will put hundreds of Cornell students into a place where they may become food insecure.

affordable organic food for students on a budget.

Anabel's has been by far one of the best things from my Cornell journey. It has given me a sense of community and purpose for me and many other students. Anabel's makes it easy and rewarding to support local businesses and also get the groceries we need to survive. The alternative library is a place where I often find myself for its cozy environment and vibes. Free tea and coffee and comfy couches, as well as an amazing community of staff and students.

Anabels has increased my options for affordable food choices and decreased my food insecurity as an athlete who grocery shops on a budget. I often find myself struggling to get enough fresh foods into my diet, and Anabels allows me to eat without worrying about needing to allot money for expensive produce.

I am the president of the Hydroponics Club, and we have been partnered with Anabel's for many years. We donate the produce we grow to Anabel's and the proceeds from that sale go to support the Anti-Racist Action Fund, which is used to support organizations on campus. I believe in Anabel's mission and have loved collaborating with them, and I think they provide an invaluable service to both the students that work there and the community members they serve.

Anabel’s has been a lifesaver for reliable, accessible, and affordable groceries throughout my entire college experience. It is a crucial resource for so many students and community members, and a wonderful source of personal connections and sustainability on our campus. If Cornell is funding any program it should be this one.

I am a current staff and alumnus of cornell. Anabel’s has helped prevent food insecurity for me and my peer students due to its affordability compared to other food stores in Ithaca.

I volunteered at Anabel’s and it was a great experience and so important to have a high quality, low cost grocery store accessible to students and the Ithaca community!

Anabel's has been a place for me to easily get produce on campus without taking the bus.

Anabel's plays an important part in my effort to minimize motor vehicle use. The ability to ride my bike to class, pick up groceries, and ride back home is dependent on Anabel's.

Annabel’s has provided me with affordable healthy produce and goods that I truly needed during my time at Cornell. I also lived attended the community dinners and events. Everyone is always so welcoming and kind, and I have met and befriended many incredible people because of it.

Anabel’s made finding fast accessible food so much easier, and was a hub for community. My undergrad experience would not be the same without them.

Anabel's is one of few options within walking distance for those who live close to campus. In addition to the nutritious and delicious produce and staples, Anabel's is an unmatched community and pedagogical resource where students learn how to run an organization that seeks to do the greatest good; it is the best example I can think of for a 'learn by doing' program at Cornell. I commend the student leaders working to secure a future for Anabel's and sincerely hope they will ultimately enjoy the full support of an administration that must understand Anabel's' contributions to student community and food security.

Annabel’s helps me eat well on a budget. It is really essential to my wellbeing <3

Anabel’s allows students to conveniently access high quality affordable food.

I was involved with Anabel's Grocery for two years, from my sophomore spring to my senior spring. Anabel's was one of the most meaningful projects i was involved with at Cornell, an organization that I still hold incredible love for. Taking the class pushed me to question where my food comes from and face the interconnected struggles of food insecurity, racism, capitalism. The store itself is a rare opportunity to actively consider how we might address these systemic inequalities. I know countless friends and Cornell students who bought almost all of their food at Anabel's because they didn't have a car, or it was just what they could afford. Free food rescued from Cornell cafes on Fridays was often completely gone within just a few hours. Where else in Ithaca are broke, exhausted college students going to find locally grown produce affordable enough to regularly nourish themselves and their friends? I can't tell you how many times I saw a new face in the store, discovering Anabel's for the first time, thrilled about how affordable everything was. Anabel's was an incredible source of community and joy for so many students, including myself - not just within the physical store, but through its many cooking demonstrations, workshops, community dinners at co-ops and Dilmun Hill Farm. All of these bits and pieces show us the beautiful, entangled web Anabel's weaves; connecting farmers and local producers with students, connecting students with their food, the land, with each other. ALL students deserve to know the nourishment and strength of being connected with Ithaca's vibrant food system, not just those who can afford to shop at Greenstar. Anabel's is run for students, by students. I have learned an endless amount from this store and this community; most of all, how we can begin to build a future we want to see through models of true sustainability, non-hierarchy, justice.

What a damn shame! Annabels makes groceries so much more accessible.

Genuinely essential to me eating well as an undergraduate!! incredibly affordable , and as someone with lots of food allergies, it’s amazing to eat locally and veggie-heavy without breaking the bank. Huge part of my college happiness - and this is just as a once or twice a week patron!!

I was able to buy healthy food for years bc of Annabel’s and I would be really disappointed for it if it closes. I didn’t have a car so having an affordable grocery store was so important for me to survive

Anabels is a community icon for cornell, inspiring people to talk about and support food secruity and provide affordable + healthy food options to the student body at large. Many people rely on Anabels for healthy produce due to restrictive prices from other nearby establishments.

Anabel's and CTA introduced me to leaders in the community who have engaged in grassroots activism for decades. These leaders taught me more about collective social action than a textbook ever could. For one, they showed me that trust is always earned, never bestowed. Trust comes not by way of a degree or a title, but rather through consistent collaboration. As a public defender, everyday I lean on the lessons I learned from Anabel's and CTA.

CTA projects and Anabel's grocery in particular provide a unique and important role in Cornell students' lives. These programs provide students with experiential learning opportunities, enhance the greater community and provide both affordable and accessible options to students facing food insecurity. The Cornell community would be greatly damaged if these programs ceased to run.

Anabel’s is an affordable option for getting groceries as a college student. It also provides access to healthy, local food that grocery stores don’t provide.

Anabel's has been providing Cornell community with affordable, high-quality produce during the inflation. It's crucial in ensuring that everyone in Cornell can equality in accessing fundamental means of living! As a grad student with a tight budget, Anabel's has always helping me to make ends meet while being able to receive nutritious and delicious food — fresh fruit and vegetable. I am sure that Anabel's also has a big impact on everyone else as well as it has on mine!

Anabel’s is the one place students can get accessible, affordable food, It’s life-saving especially for people without a meal plan. They are worth every bit of funding.

Anabel's is well worth the small amount of funding it receives.

I love Anabel’s Grocery. It is very accessible and affordable for students who don’t have access to transportation to go grocery shopping off campus like myself. To get rid of the funding for such a place that is boasted about by Cornell would be such a shame.

Anabel’s is a great way for me to get affordable produce on campus as an undergraduate student without a car.

It’s a welcoming quiet space for me after class. Everyone is so nice and accommodating.

Anabel’s has affordable groceries, brings a welcoming environment, and is essential to the community.

Anabels has been a source of reliable and affordable nutrition that is necessary for community food security

Would be a shame to lose this gem. Anabel’s Grocery has been the difference between eating real healthy food and settling for overpriced, processed convenience meals on campus. Without it, many students would have no good options.

Other grocery stores were too expensive for me as a student but Anabels always offered cheap and reasonable food items that were fresh and yummy. Anabels is such an important part of campus life and I literally don’t know how I would have gotten and afforded groceries/food without it.

Anabel's has been an important way for me as a Cornell graduate student to access fresh and affordable produce. It is a wonderful space and program.

Anabel's helps me find nutritous food on campus that resonates with me and my culture at a student-friendly price and connects me with other students who are looking for the same. If it closes down, there will be an irreplaceable hole in our community.

As an undergrad, I would always go to Anabels for my groceries. I bought my eggs, milks, fruits, vegetables, and protein there. I supported myself throughout college so I relied on Anabels. The prices were unbeatable and it was super convenient. It was close to my classes and in front of a bus stop to get back home off-campus. More importantly, the community at Anabels was incredible. I don’t know what I would’ve done without Anabels during college. It’s an essential part of Cornell and it must stay.

Annabel’s is truly a unique space on campus that is treasured by so many students. Ever since before arriving at Cornell I knew about Annabel’s and was excited to stop by for snacks and produce. It is easily accessible being on campus, which is so important to me as someone who has never had a car. Otherwise affordable healthy food can be hard to get to so I have been grateful for the convenience of Annabel’s. Loss of funding for Annabel’s would be a loss to the whole campus.

Annabel’s really upgraded my life quality for providing healthy and inexpensive groceries.

Love their food!!

Anabel’s Grocery is a special place where my friends and I always go for cooking ingredients. It’s affordable, accessible, and our comfort place to try new things. Without Anabel’s I wouldn’t have enjoyed Cornell or been involved in food justice. If you truly care about your students and the wellbeing of our community, keep Anabel’s alive!

Incredible space. Would be criminal to take it away

Having affordable groceries and produce within walking distance has made such a big impact on my ability to maintain a healthy diet, I can’t always afford the money or time to make the 45 minute bus trip to wegmans, get all my groceries and haul it back on another 45 minute ride.

Anabel’s is a shining example of what makes Cornell so special. Countless trips for low cost, healthy, and accessible groceries had a significant impact on my own experience as an undergraduate. Anabel’s role as a community building resource should also not be discounted. The loss of Anabel’s is a loss for Cornell, and a loss for its students.

Anabel's has been an amazing community and resource throughout my time at Cornell, from offering affordable, healthy foods to kitchen essentials rentals so I could cook for myself and educationally, expanding my perspective on social justice initiatives and issues. It also stood out as a unique student opportunity at Cornell that persuaded me to ultimately choose this school -- it was an example of learning my doing and showed me Cornell's commitment to providing its students a range of exciting and truly educational experiences during this transformative time of their lives.

My friends and I have shopped there for years and have witnessed how much it has grown and how deeply it has embedded itself in student life. For many students, Anabel’s is more than just a grocery store—it’s a qualified resource and a bridge to the local food system. It has strengthened the relationship between Cornell and the surrounding community, introducing students to sustainable products and local farms in a way no other campus initiative has. Cutting its funding now, at the height of its impact, would be more than just frustrating—it would be a failure to recognize its essential role. Eliminating Anabel’s wouldn’t just disrupt the lives of students who depend on it; it would sever an invaluable connection to our community and undermine a model of sustainability that should be supported.

Over the last year I have been going to Anabel's and found a great community. Every Wednesday I'm excited to see their new selections. I want this resource to be around for many more years. It an example of what makes cornell great

Anabel’s is an essential resource for college students, offering affordable, convenient access to fresh local groceries—something every student needs but often struggles to afford. With rising tuition and living costs, students rely on stores like Anabel’s to stretch their budgets without compromising on healthy, nutritious food. Beyond just groceries, Anabel’s supports the local economy by sourcing from nearby farmers and suppliers, reinforcing a sense of community and sustainability. Its campus proximity saves students time and money on transportation, making grocery trips quick and stress-free amidst busy class schedules. Removing Anabel’s or failing to renew its contract would force students to resort to pricier alternatives, increasing financial strain and making healthy choices harder to maintain. Keeping Anabel’s open not only promotes student well-being but also continues to serve as an invaluable partner for fostering community engagement and affordability on campus.

I worked at Anabels for a semester and saw the important impact it made by building a sense of community and keeping people afloat with their reduced prices. Anabels needs to stay!!!

Anabel’s Grocery was one of the most unique aspects of my Cornell experience. I tell everyone I know about it, in hopes to find something similar at any given location. I felt so lucky to be connected to good quality food, accessible food (and community growers) at such a low price. And working at Anabel’s / taking the class gave me lasting insight into the community food system. Without Anabel’s, not only would I have been significantly less nourished, but I would’ve also not been connected to this passion I have for sustainable food systems.

I can’t even begin to explain how much Anabel’s means to me and the Cornell community. Anabel’s was the first community I joined my freshman year of college. I have met some of the most inspiring people through Anabel’s. Anyone who has attended an event hosted by Anabel’s, shopped there, or just popped their head in to see what’s going on can speak to how beautiful this organization is and how much Cornell needs it. I am a former committee lead for Anabel’s collaboration and education committee (Fall 2024), and I was a Dilmun Hill Student Farm manager this past year. I have seen on countless occasions how Anabel’s connects people from all over campus in thoughtful, culturally significant, and fun ways, with little to no barriers. Also, as a local from the Ithaca area I can speak to how Anabel’s and the CTA have contributed so much good over the years. These organizations and projects strive to take care of Ithaca and its surrounding/niche communities, and we as locals can actually see this. To lose Anabel’s and the CTA would not just be a disservice to Cornell. It would have profound impacts on so many communities. As a local and a student I can’t imagine ever being able to forgive Cornell if it follows through with withdrawing financial support from the CTA. To fellow students and community members, please think long and hard about the future impact of this decision, and consider signing. To the folks in power who have the opportunity to change this decision, remember that you have a responsibility to not just Cornell financial backers, but every single community that is connected to our university in any way, shape, or form.

Anabel’s has been an important part of my own food security and access while studying at Cornell. A Cornell without Anabel’s is a less food secure Cornell, less food educated Cornell, and less sustainable Cornell. I feel proud and lucky to have such a space on my campus.

Anabel’s has provided me with affordable groceries within walking distance. As a student without a car this has been incredibly helpful to access affordable groceries.

CTA is home to many vibrant community organizations by which Ithaca and the surrounding towns thrive and have their needs met. Cornell students benefit greatly from the course that Anke teaches and from the store. Cornell University and Ithaca at large would be dealt a severe blow if CTA were to disappear.

Such an important place to keep running especially because of the access to food it provides.

Annabel’s was a great opportunity for friends of mine to work on campus, and it was an incredible source of incredibly affordable but also healthy food, something difficult to find. I would be incredibly sad to see it closed down.

Such good produce at such affordable prices. Literally my favorite place when I was at cornell.

I just discovered the grocery and it’s been life changing, with actually affordable prices for produce that I can’t get anywhere else considering I am paying such high rent. It would be a shame if this amazing place ended just when I discovered it.

love the green grapes! so crunchy

I can't describe how anabel's has been for me. Without this store, there is fully no way for me to get fresh food on campus.

Anabel’s was a lifeline for me as a student. Since my family could not afford a meal plan, I didn’t have a car, and the bus route to Wegman’s was indirect, unreliable, impractical for an individual carrying groceries, Annabel’s was my only access to healthy and affordable food. To get rid of Annabel’s is to send a clear message that only the wealthy deserve to eat healthy at Cornell University…a message utterly antithetical to an institution that prides itself on being progressive and inclusive.

It immensely helps those who do not have a mode of transportation, additionally it is a healthy alternative from many of the options available to cornell students, undergrad and graduate students.

When I first moved off campus and did not have car access, I did the vast majority of my grocery shopping at Anabel’s. It is an invaluable resource for students who do not have unlimited meal plans to obtain high quality groceries at an affordable price given how unreliable the bus services to grocery stores can be. Please keep Anabel’s funded and operational.

The CTA has an invaluable impact on the Cornell community and beyond. Anabel's connects students with the local food system and makes healthy produce available and affordable to low income students. Cornell should continue to fund programs that fight food insecurity on campus. The Alternatives Library and Prisoner Express programs were a big part of my time at Cornell as well. They foster community and provide incarcerated individuals with connection, information, and artistic pursuits that would be inaccessible without them. Keep funding the CTA!

Anabel’s is a wonderful resource for students to access affordable produce and groceries. The Anti-Racist Action Fund, which campus organizations to apply to for their projects and that comes from produce sold at Anabel’s in collaboration with other campus organizations such as Dilmun Hill and Hydroponics Club, is another benefit this organization brings to the community. The loss of Anabel’s would be a steep loss for the Cornell community.

As a low-income and first Gen student, Anabel's is the only accessible grocery without a car in Ithaca. It's so convenient to be on campus and affordable.

Anabel’s allows me to access fresh affordable produce, and to reduce my carbon footprint and reliance on large corporations to meet my grocery needs! Anabel’s is a true community resource, and is desperately needed for students and other community members experiencing food insecurity (which is not out of the realm of possibility given the cost of living in Ithaca)! Additionally, it is a real source of community! I love this place— it is worth Cornell’s investment if this is an institution that takes our need for community and food security, as well as broader commitments to sustainability, seriously. Save Anabel’s!!

Anabel’s has given me the ability to have access to affordable, healthy produce, and has therefore been essential to my well-being. Taking funding away Anabel’s and other CTA projects will place so many students in already-precarious positions in worse-off conditions.

For first-gen students, college isn’t just about academics—it’s about survival. Anabel’s Grocery is a lifeline, ensuring students don’t have to choose between eating and pursuing their dreams. Its loss would hit the most vulnerable hardest. Protect Anabel’s and stand with students who rely on it to thrive, not just survive.

Anabel is the perfect place to get affordable fresh delicious things 😭

The CTA and anabels are hubs on campus and Cornell would be a lesser place without them.

I have dependents and loans to pay off. Anabel has been a respite for my survival in Ithaca with very little cost effective alternatives

Anabel’s and CTA were invaluable to my Cornell experience. Anabel’s makes a beautiful and valuable contribution to the campus as the ONLY on campus grocery option, and an affordable one at that. As a Cornell student seeking a career in environmental and social justice advocacy, Anabel’s and all of the CTA programs were proof to me that Cornell supported my dreams and the dreams of people like me. Anabel’s specifically is one of few opportunities on campus for students to practice and experience social enterprise. To shutter all of these programs would be a disgrace - yet another affirmation that Cornell values their bottom line over their students, their community, and both present and future quality of life for both.

love it there and the community is great!

Anabel's Grocery is vital for those students who are in need of food, like some of my kiddo's friends. I'm a Cornell parent and local Ithacan. Please reconsider your plan to defund this program.

Anabel's grocery has been fundamental to my Cornell experience- I would never have tried new dishes and learned how to cook for myself with the affordable, proper, organic ingredients without them.

Anabel’s has been a transformative place for many, making out of reach items available for folks who otherwise would have a hard time accessing them. It has been a hub of community care and really done an amazing job connecting Cornell to the wider Ithaca community through its sourcing practices.

Anabel’s is an essential part of the Cornell community and its disappearance would be a grave disservice to all Cornellians. Not only does Anabel’s directly address food insecurity on campus, but it also provides rich educational opportunities; those who learn to manage the store, those who are looking to support more local businesses in the Ithaca community, and those looking for nutritious offerings that meet a variety of dietary needs all walk away from Anabel’s with a stronger connection to the community. If Cornell wants to lead by example, investing in programs like these will leave the most lasting legacy, bringing students and community members together and fostering lasting connections.

I love Anabel's PLEASE SAVE ANABELS

I would like to express my gratitude for this wonderful project my daughter who's a sophomore recently started working there and taking up the class and in such a short time Annalysse loves everything about her store they just recently opened back up for business this semester and so eager to explore all the possibilities. Anabel's is making it easier to eat healthier and without having to travel far to get fresh produce. As a sophomore she was so surprised to be hearing about Anabel's just now. She is planning to spread the word on her podcast to bring in business. This student run business is essential for our young entrepreneurs. Please do reconsider.

Best place to purchase affordable and nutritious food. A critical space that nurtures Cornell’s collaborative community!

Anabel's is not just a place for affordable groceries, it's a home for warmth, joy, and community. It became a tradition to swing by between classes to grab a snack or meet up with friends. Anabel's keeps us warm and connected through the long winter days.

Anabel’s was always the primary place I went to for groceries because of how affordable it was and also the quality of the products I could get. It became a bit of a safe haven for me, since I knew I could always count on being able to afford a healthy meal made from good quality products. Anabel’s also always had such a great rotation and selection of fresh produce and local products that introduced me to so much that the local Ithaca community had to offer.

Anabel’s offers affordable, healthy food in a time where that is becoming rarer and rarer. It connects Cornell to the broader Ithaca community, and my experience of the university would not be the same without it!

Anabel's needs to stay. It is an amazing place to get good quality groceries for many people, including myself.

It has been a very convenient way of picking up fresh groceries and food on the way to and from the office, instead of having to take a car ride to the busy farmer's market.

The alternatives library is one of the first places I felt truly welcome on campus. Anabel’s is a place where so many people in my department get access to affordable, healthy food. If you could please do what you can to save these programs, I would appreciate it, and I know so many others would too!

Anabel’s has been a lifeline for me during difficult times. It’s more than a grocery store—it’s a community resource that provides students with affordable, healthy food when we need it most. Taking it away would be devastating for so many of us who rely on it to get by.

They saved me multiple times when I was stuck for how to get food.

Anabel’s has been an essential way for myself and many of my friends to get good quality and healthy food. It’s an integral part of the community at Cornell, and removing it would truly be a loss for all.

Anabel’s has inspired me to eat healthier and focus on eating more whole foods, and promote the healthy lifestyle

Anabels is a critical source of good quality, affordable food for myself, my roommates, and many of my friends. I rely on it so heavily, and to take away the opportunity for students to take care of themselves with Anabels products would be criminal.

Anabel’s was a great way for me to support local businesses and also take pride in what Ithaca and the Cornell community had to offer. In many ways, their mission encompasses Cornell’s passion for sustainability and the remembrance of how interconnected the larger Ithaca community is with the student population, a topic that comes up in more ways than one throughout student life.

A vital resource for getting affordable groceries when you don’t have a car or the time to use public transit

As an international student, Anabel’s supplies us with fresh food and resources that we find essential for our assimilation into this stupid waste land. Please don’t take the only thing that supplies with affordable spices and eggs

Anabel's grocery makes it easier for me to make healthy and affordable choices, especially as a person with dietary restrictions. I feel good shopping there knowing it supports local farms and knowing where my food comes from. Anabel's is a staple of Cornell and it's loss would be a massive blow to the entire Cornell community and a betrayal to students by the administration.

My daughter relied on Anabel’s Grocery in order to make ends meet during her time as a struggling student at Cornell. The thought of losing this resource for students such as mine is upsetting. She also worked in the Alternatives Library for 3 years as a Prisoner Express newsletter editor. The experience of being at that library was life changing for her and will be the center of many wonderful memories for her. Please do what you can to keep these important programs going!!!

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!

Two of my most heavily involved activities on campus have been through CTA projects. I am an active volunteer for PREP and Prisoner Express, as well as an intern for the North American Food Systems Network. Both of these projects are activities I am extremely passionate about, with no way to entirely replicate were they to be defunded. They bring me in a source of income and I cannot see myself emulating such a welcoming environment CTA has given be if these projects were downsized or removed completely.

Anabel's is an important source of all kinds of food for me that would otherwise be unaffordable. Some other CTA projects are also highly impactful for both me and my students - for instance, I use materials from the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ learning project in my course (I teach first-year Cornell undergraduates). The loss of CTA projects would heavily impact both the well-being of students like me and also the quality of education received by the entire undergraduate student population.

Anabel's has been a staple of my experience at Cornell. Now, after graduating and then coming back as a graduate student, I was delighted and relieved to see it still operating. Anabel's is the only place I can get fresh produce so I can cook at home. Without it, I would be a lot unhappier. Anabel's is truly a thing that only Cornell can do (look at our peer schools - do you see any of them with a program like it?) and I think it is something that should be supported proudly, not defunded quietly.

Anabels Grocery serves an essential purpose in supporting the local food system by purchasing from local farms and Cornell's very own Dilmun Hill Student Farm

It has helped me get through this tough financial times

Annabel’s Grocery is an essential on-campus shopping center with a convenient location and healthy food, locally grown at Dilmun farm where Cornell students work!

Collegetown is known to be a food desert for student without cars. Students need heathy grocery options without paying top dollar. Annabel’s grocery has contributed so positively to the community and helped me start incorporating healthier eating habits. The staff is amazing and the produce is priced fairly. I hope students will be able to shop at Annabel’s for generations of Cornellians to come!

Anabel’s has made eating healthy in graduate school possible for me! It’s such an amazing and important place. Please don’t take away this incredible resource.

Very affordable food that helps me get through the struggles of gradschool life qith limited stipend at Cornell.

Anabels grocery is where I found my community at Cornell. It completely reshaped my Cornell experience and and transformed my view on sustainable food systems and food security. No course or experience I’ve had at Cornell has taught me nearly as much as Anabels Grocery. It is truly one of a kind. I am so appreciative of this community and gem of a location on campus.

Anabel's is so important to me. As an undergrad living off campus, I am able to eat in a healthy and affordable way thanks to the fresh produce Anabel's has. More than that, it's a necessary part of the community, and it has formed a keystone of my time here. Community dinners, toastathons, pop-ups with Dilmun Hill— these have been some of my fondest memories here at Cornell. It's absolutely insane to me that shutting it down is even an option. Students like me have come to rely on it as a part of their routine, and to remove that is to remove a cornerstone organization. It even helps to create bonds between Cornell and the broader community. Wide Awake and other farms/producers are now known names to students, and we're able to buy local, environmentally friendly products. I'm a senior, so I've been shopping at Anabel's since freshman year. The growth the store has shown is amazing, and to cut funding now, while it's in its prime, is ridiculous. We should be supporting these organizations, not attempting to cull their success. Besides that, the Alternatives Library is a safe space for so many on campus. Not only is it a study space that's closer to Collegetown than any of the other campus libraries, it's a place that offers comfort and support to students. The collaboration with the Global Tea Club means I'll always be able to have a warm cup of tea on the coldest days. The events with groups like Marginalia are impossible to imagine anywhere else on campus. The Prisoner's Express letter writing provides a place to chat with other students about crucial issues while coming together over actionable progress. Plus, as a proud library card holder, their selection of books is unmatched. Some of the books they have are things I didn't even know I needed to read until I saw them on the shelves! I have my most productive days in the Durland Alternatives Library, and I truly don't know what I would have done without it.

Affordable and quality produce in a wholesome environment on campus!

Anabel’s has been one of my favorite spots on campus even just for a little study break. It offers so much more than affordable produce and i genuinely feel excited about visiting the store every week to see the new products.

This grocery store has made purchasing nutritious and simple staple items in bulk easy and affordable for myself and others I know. Cornell should not let go of this commitment to bettering and sustaining the community.

Really helped me afford healthy staple items!!!

As a grad student with 0 mobility, anabel’s grocery store was my main source of food security! If Anabele Taylor Grocery seizes to exist, it will require me to recalculate my entire method of sustaining myself while I continue my academics

Anabel’s has supported me and the Cornell community with consistent local fresh produce and is unmatched in its service and location to students from different backgrounds.

It’s an important on-campus resource against food insecurity and it’s great to have a small grocery store that can provide fresh produce.

The alternatives library has always been a relaxing place for me to study and meet people - Gary and the other alternatives staff are thoughtful and deeply passionate about providing a safe space for the community. Similarly, Anabel’s has been an excellent resource for me as someone without a car. The ability to purchase healthy, affordable groceries on campus has removed a lot of the anxiety around planning my grocery trips and budgeting my groceries.

Anabel's has been a lifesaver in terms of quality, price, and accessibility. I have a severe dietary restriction, and Anabel's has had my back ever since I started my PhD. Closing down Anabel's will deal a huge blow to the Cornell and Ithaca community.

Anabel’s is the only place on campus where students can reliably purchase affordable, nutritious, high-quality food. It is a safe haven for many and the reason that many students and faculty/staff can eat! Having an affordable on-campus grocery store filled with nourishing, often local, food is not just a convenience— it is indispensable!

I was a Dilmun Hill Student Farm manager in 2021, and Anabel's Grocery was essential in our outreach. We were able to donate produce to Anabel's for students to have access to fresh, local, organic food, and we ran multiple events through Anabel's for students to visit Dilmun and learn how to cook fun foods. On a personal level, Anabel's was an affordable option for me, a student on financial aid my entire undergraduate career, and I loved that it allowed me to buy local food and support local businesses. Loosing Anabel's would be a huge detriment to future generations of Cornellians.

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.

Anabel’s is a consistent source of affordable, nutritious food that I would not otherwise buy. It is a really great part of the Cornell Community and it makes me feel connected to, and proud of, Cornell as an institution

Anabel impacts the way I get groceries at a more local level at affordable prices. It is also a great way to build a more ethical and environmentally friendly routine (limiting plastic waste).

This grocery store helps me so much by making good food affordable!!!!

Anabel's is right next to the law school. As a law student, especially in my first year, hungry and stressed (and surrounded by 200 other very hungry and stressed people) Anabel's was a peaceful and nourishing haven. It provided my friends and I healthy food at an affordable price, with the most warm and welcoming environment. Losing Anabel's would be a serious blow to the Cornell community.

Anabel’s Grocery has been a very affordable, convenient way for me to acquire basic groceries when I did not have the time to take a bus to buy them affordably at another grocery store. Cutting funding would be detrimental students ability to access basic needs and an indication that Cornell does not actually seek to support its students. Support your students, continue to fund Anabels and CTA

As a student living off campus, without a car and with limited time, Anabel's is a big part of how I am able to eat enough and eat healthy.

I loved Anabel's and the Alternatives Lib during my time at Cornell!! I would be so sad and disappointed to see these and other amazing projects go away and due to a lack of support and funding from Cornell.

Prisoner Express is a truly transformational program! It is an accessible, collaborative, direct way to make an impact on the lives of incarcerated people. It would be a tragedy to see it go.

Simply put, Anabel's made eating healthy and affordably much more possible for me as a student, and I know they did and still do that for many others. Further, taking the Anabel's class filled my mind with possibilties for what a grocery store, food co-op, or socially-engaged business could be, which has informed my work as an alumni. It would be a shame to take away students' access to healthy and affordable food, and to stop offering the opportunity to be a part of the Anabel's team, which for me was truly a life-changing, empowering experience.

Anabel’s has allowed to make affordable meals as a low-income student at this university. They provide great options for students like me who don’t want to and can’t afford to buy so much food that it goes to waste. It has always been a way for me to eat a meal before work.

Anabel’s Grocery has truly helped me as a student living off-campus to have affordable and healthy meals! In an area like Ithaca access to reasonable priced nutritious groceries is hard to find.

As an alum and current staff member at Cornell, Anabel’s has time and time again supported me by supplying affordable groceries and nutritious options during tough times. At bare minimum, Cornell needs to continue to support its food insecure community members through programs like Anabel’s. Anabel’s is an integral cornerstone of our community and I would be deeply disappointed to see its important work cease to exist. It has always had an incredibly welcoming and caring atmosphere that is much needed on campus.

Anabel's is imperative in providing accessible and inexpensive nutrient dense food to students, who more often than not have little access to such resources.

I was introduced to Anabels and the Alternatives Library my first week at Cornell and they remain two of my favorite spots of campus.

Anabel’s has been a great partner with my club - food recovery network - providing opportunities for food making events and partnering with BNC to provide leftover food for free to students who face food insecurity. In addition, I regularly get groceries from Anabel’s. The Alternatives Library has been used for several of my classes on campus - and just when I was reading and doing homework most recently another course was having a class as of two days ago. It’s a heavily used resource by cornell faculty. In addition, it’s the only library I’ve ever gone to near campus that I feel a sense of community and ability to do reading for fun rather than for class. It’s a third space - a space apart from home and work, which are very rare to find.

I love Anabel's! I can't imagine where I would be able to get such amazing groceries at an affordable cost without it.

Annabel’s has been my favorite was to quickly pick up groceries when I’m stuck on campus doing work for most of the week. It’s a godsend if anything.

Cornell Alternative Library was one of my favorite study spots on campus. I volunteered for the Prisoner Express program which is an amazing initiative raising awareness about incarcerated individuals as well as providing a way for them to receive books and letters.

Love the place

I love Annabel’s!!! They provide a healthy food alternative that’s not only accessible but delicious. They’re a close partner to Prisoner Express—where I work—and we absolutely love working with them when we can. A cozy library with a great mission and an equally amazing healthy market, what more can anyone ask for?!!

Anabel's is beyond amazing! Such a great and convenient place to get affordable food and it fosters community bonds among all students. It would be a disservice to defund such an impactful program that makes nutritious food accessible. An academic institution like Cornell cannot thrive when its students are going hungry

This is where i buy my food!!!

Alternatives Library and Anabel’s are vital spaces that foster community on campus. I can’t emphasize enough how much Alternatives Library has impacted my life as a work-study student. The Prisoner Express program provides thousands of incarcerated people across the country with crucial resources at no cost. Without Prisoner Express, 20,000+ people will lose access to books and education materials.

The Cornell Alternatives Library is a lovely place to unwind and do homework or just hang out and soak in the life. The letter writing project with prisoners is so impactful and important to keep around!!

Annabel Taylor Hall was one of my favorite places on campus because of the CTA projects that gave the building life. Whenever it was a cold and gloomy Ithaca day, or finals were weighing heavy, or I just wanted to make a good day better I would go to Anabel Taylor. I didn’t have a car on campus so Anabels Grocery was my main source of fresh and healthy food. Their prices were always welcome and I knew I was supporting a great network of Cornell students and staff who really cared about sustainable and healthy food systems. I also regularly volunteered at prisoners express, which was a linchpin program for my service organization, APO, and a really unique chance to connect with incarcerated people and hear their stories. There is not much to humanize people in prisons, but this program was one of them. The Alternatives library is hands down the best library on campus. The tea cove was perfect for chilling out with friends or hunkering down on an assignment. The alternatives library is by design a warm and inviting space, which makes it such a refuge on campus. What I loved about the CTA programs is they pushed students to figure things out for themselves. They demonstrated the best practices of education by teaching us how to learn by trying and doing. I always loved the first days when Anabels would open for the semester, because the new class would still be figuring things out, and you got to watch them grasp the handles of business management. CTA was truly a highlight of my Cornell experience

Anabel's has been vital for me to getting access to affordable groceries, especially in Ithaca. The grocery store has been a catalyst for me building community and connection at Cornell, and it has truly been a safe space for me on campus. Being apart of the Anabel's community has widened my perspective in ways I hadn't in any of my classes!

I am a student with gluten and dairy allergies. Anabel’s Grocery gives me an affordable option to buy food that I need. The food pantry does not provide any of the gluten free and dairy free options that Anabel’s does. Anabel’s is critical for student wellbeing and food security, especially to students with food restrictions.

Anabel’s is a life saver!!! Undergrads need Anabel’s.

I LOVE ANABEL'S!!!!

It is highly important and convenient to have grocery store on campus with accessible prices and good quality products. It saves my time and energy on getting food especially during the busy weekedays and when you don't have a car. It would be extremely sad having it to shut down!

Anabel's has been very important to me in getting access to local, affordable, and bulk food with the convenience of its location on campus. Especially during the winter, I have been so grateful to have access to Anabel's. I also feel the great community when I'm there!

Cornell must protect the quality of life of its vast low-income population.

I donate and take food from the community fridge and love the work that Annabel’s does to bring affordable food to people on campus that go ignored by admin.

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 is so critical!! It has been difficult to access fresh affordable produce that is close to campus and Anabel's has really made a difference in my day to day by providing that access. Also the Alternative's Library is my safe space on this campus. Please save CTA projects, they have brought so much light into my college life!

Having a grocery store on campus is an important part of keeping a community around good eating.

Anabel’s was such an important place for me to have on campus. Not only did it supply accessible, affordable, and healthy foods, but it is an integral and unique part of the Cornell community. The students who work at Anabel's are so enthusiastic and it seems like a truly valuable learning experience. I loved being able to get local produce, bread, and coffee in a nearby location. I didn’t have a car, so Anabel’s was essential. As a grim future looms in terms of access to healthy and affordable food, Anabel’s is more important than ever. Cornell would be doing its community a huge disservice by cutting its funding.

It has been instrumental for providing me with food I feel good about putting in my body and makes me feel good at a price that is affordable. Which is unlike any other place in Ithaca where nutrition is unaccessible. It's location and everything Anabels values stand for is testament to its unbelievable impact on the Cornell community especially at a time where we all face so many hardships that make every day tasks difficult to fulfill.

On behalf of Cornell Lifted (the student group who puts on the annual Lifted event with balloons and flowers on the Art's Quad for thousands of Cornellians each year!), we strongly support Anabel's and the CTA. We love the CTA simply because it shares our mission of uplifting so many people's lives. It would be such a terrible loss to the entire community to lose a grocery store that so many students rely on to survive. Students consistently write in their Lifted messages how Anabel's and CTA's other projects have helped bring them together, and we would be extremely sad to see that go. Please, Cornell, consider this request strongly. You would be surprised at how such a small grocery store has such a powerful impact on so many people's lives.

Anabel's Grocery is so convenient to have on campus! As someone living on West, it's great to have a place with such healthy, high quality foods so close by.

I love Anabel's groceries -- my roommate and I go there often to buy food for our apartment and I love how there is a vast variety as well as we get to choose our quantities. I think it is a great example of a student run organization that truly adds to the community. Please keep Anabel's open it truly makes my day so much better!!

My daughter has benefitted so much from the CTA. She's held work-study positions at the Durland Alternatives Library and been involved with Anabel's Grocery. These have been the most meaningful experiences she'd had at Cornell and where she's found her people; she's been able to make individual connections with adult staff working in these programs more than with her instructors. I know from reading parental posts on the parent Facebook page that many students find Cornell isolating, and that it is a large institution where it is challenging for students to find their place, esp. if they aren't interested in Greek life. Why cancel funding for a hub that provides many students their place on campus? Is there a place for students who might fit in better at a small liberal arts school? Does Cornell want those students, or does Cornell only care about athletes, Greek life kids, and pre-professional business and engineering students? My impression is that CTA provides a place for students who might have otherwise gone to or fit in better at a SLAC. Anabel's Grocery is particularly valuable in enabling students to gain hand-on experience with food systems -- something many students are interested in. Students also benefit from being able to get groceries on campus. My daughter now lives off campus and doesn't have a car -- Anabel's is where she will get most of her groceries.

As a member of CTA's Committee on US-Latin American Relations, I have had an outlet for my interests in learning, writing, and organizing around US and Latin American politics. Having interned at CUSLAR over the past summer and being among the student group's leadership, CUSLAR has been a fundamental part of my time here at Cornell. Beyond CUSLAR, Anabel's Grocery has been an invaluable resource for supporting first-generation low-income students and a great example of a project that cares about its community. Its side projects with student organizations on campus, such as advocating for basic needs, helping with SNAP benefits, and creating resources for navigating food insecurity have also been incredibly useful. I will never stop supporting Anabel's Grocery or CTA, both are essential to this campus!

Anabel’s Grocery is a critical service for many in the community. While Cornell does very little to support low-income students, Anabel’s Grocery consistently provides high-quality and affordable groceries that simply cannot be accessed anywhere else in the vicinity of campus (without a car or 2 hours to take the bus). With relatively limited funding compared to other initiatives, Anabel’s overwhelmingly benefits less-resourced students with the basic needs to be successful at Cornell. It would be a tremendous loss to the community if this funding were to be taken away. My convenient access to affordable groceries would entirely be taken away.

Anabel's was the center of my extracurricular world at Cornell. I got involved in 2014 with a group of fellow architecture students to support the initial pursuit of funding. We developed the branding and designed the space that would be renovated for the grocery, ultimately securing the $300k grant from the Student Assembly Students Helping Students fund that launched Anabel's Grocery. For two years, we worked closely with Cornell's Facilities and Project Management teams to execute the renovation of the space in Anabel Taylor Hall. Simultaneously, we built a team of nearly 40 students who worked tirelessly with the Center for Transformative Action to develop relationships with local farmers, produce suppliers, and campus organizations, and to launch and operate the student-run grocery in 2016. I learned and accomplished so much during my time on the Design team and later as the Project Coordinator. I credit my time at Anabel's and my entire 5 year architecture education *equally* with the project management skills that I employ professionally every single day. It is my sincere hope as an alum that Cornell will step up and support this project that several generations of students have dedicated themselves to creating. Anabel's Grocery fills a crucial gap in the Cornell ecosystem that the University has ultimately neglected to serve. To the University, I implore you to partner with Anabel's, rather than dismiss it. Listen, and continue to support the leadership of these students, who are trying to do nothing but good for the Cornell community.

As a student living in Collegetown, Annabel’s is the only place I can get inexpensive, high quality food and produce without taking a lengthy bus ride to Wegman’s.

Annabel’s is a stable to affordable living at campus.

Anabel’s grocery was the class and community where I first found my sense of place and purpose at Cornell. I joined the class as an advisor approved elective my sophomore year on the advice of a past Anabel’s student who said it was one of the most impactful courses they took. As an engineering student it’s unusual to take a class outside of the realm of math and science and look into equity and food, but I was immediately hooked. My project for the semester was a community event teaching about foraging for food with the botanic gardens, connecting students with ways to source their own food. I stayed on with Anabel’s as a coordinator the following semester and learned the important skills of purchasing, budgeting, cost analysis, and communication with our lovely local vendors. I felt a personal connection with the local farming community, seeing exactly where the food was coming from and the seasonality of the products. I then continued to stay on as a collaboration and education coordinator the next semester. In this role, I focused on SNAP education, collaboration with on-campus groups, and bringing the community together with Anabel’s dinners. I will continue to fight for Anabel’s to stay open no matter how many years have passed since I took the class. Everyone on campus deserves the opportunity to find and use Anabel’s as a resource. It is a class and an experience that broadens your horizons, brings people together, and allows people from all walks of life to access equitable food on campus. It’s a necessary space in our community that students use weekly and if it was to be forced to close, there would be a clear food-access gap that would reopen on Cornell’s campus.

I've been involved in Anabel's Grocery for the past few semesters. 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 (if you've ever heard a lot of pop music in the store, you were probably listening to my playlist)! I would be incredibly disappointed and sad if the store were to no longer exist, and I urge Cornell to find funding for the CTA immediately.