Strain Stars, LI’s First Pharmacy, Gives $100,000 for a Farmingdale State Scholarship

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Strain Stars, Long Island’s first cannabis dispensary, has given Farmingdale State College $100,000 for a new scholarship. The Strain Stars New Hour Endowed Scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to current and future Farmingdale State students of incarcerated parents.

New Hour for Women and Children Long Island, based in Farmingdale, has partnered to help manage the fair, a nonprofit organization that supports incarcerated women and their children and families. The organization will work closely with students and families as recipients of the scholarships, according to a news release about the program.

“We are proud to establish the Strain Stars New Hour Endowed Scholarship at Farmingdale State College. This grant will make a meaningful difference in the lives of students affected by mass incarceration,” Jasmin Singh, chief financial officer of Strain Stars, said in the release.

The funding is intended to support scholarships for college-bound children affected by incarceration, and eligible students who have been accepted or are currently enrolled at Farmingdale State. In addition to tuition and fees, scholarships may also include funding for meal plans, books, transportation, and housing for up to four consecutive years of full-time enrollment to earn a bachelor’s degree from the college, or to complete an associate degree or certificate program, up to two year.

According to the National Education Association, as many as one in 28 children has a parent in jail or prison. The National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated, part of the Rutgers University–Camden campus, reports that this is the third most common request for scholarship information for children with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents.

At Farmingdale, the Strain Stars scholarship reflects “our commitment to social equity, higher education and empowerment. In partnership with New Hour, we will also provide support systems to help these students navigate challenges and achieve their full potential,” said Singh.

“As a nonprofit that works with mothers affected by the justice system, we know that incarceration impacts the entire family,” said Serena Martin, executive director of New Hour for Women and Children Long Island, in the news release.

“Affected children often do not have the means to pursue higher education. This grant will reduce the stigma of parental incarceration, giving students the necessary opportunity to grow beyond parental incarceration, for which they should never be punished,” Martin added.

“This gift truly embodies the beauty and power of philanthropy, with a scholarship that has the potential to change lives and provide the transformation that education brings to help our students unleash their full potential,” said Matthew Colson, vice president development and alumni engagement at Farmingdale State.

“We couldn’t be more proud to partner with Strain Stars and New Hour and be entrusted with this great responsibility in service to our shared community,” Colson added.

More information about the fair can be found here.