By Matthew Cavazos

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – NOV. 2, 2023 – The UTRGV Student Food Pantry recently expanded its fight against hunger with a food drive that spanned the entire Rio Grande Valley and amassed 2.25 tons of food.

The food pantry emailed representatives across the university to participate, and the call-to-action sparked widespread activity.

“We had great response from our UTRGV community,” said Jodie Moore-Dominguez, program manager for Student Support and Wellbeing and supervisor of the UTRGV Student Food Pantry. “We truly felt the support.”

The email asked for UTRGV departments and colleges to collect canned foods and non-perishable items for the drive. Word traveled, and the boxes around campus filled up quickly.

“We are so thankful for the generosity from our campus partners and departments,” Dominguez said. “This was the first time in a long time that the food pantry led a drive. Every year, we will set goals to try to beat the previous year.”

Last year, the Student Food Pantry distributed more than 16.8 tons of food over the course of 3,712 visits. This year’s drive helped restock the shelves, so the pantry can continue to provide a wide variety of food options. The pantry also is partnered with the RGV Food Bank to help resupply when donations are sparce.

“This is a wonderful resource that provides food for our students and gives them the ability to preserve their funds for school-related needs,” Dominguez said.

HOW CAN I ORDER?

The only criteria for receiving food from the pantry is to be a current student at UTRGV.

With distribution centers staffed by full-time and student employees in both Brownsville and Edinburg, the pantry can serve UTRGV students from across the Valley.

Students interested in receiving food from the pantry should visit their website and fill out the food pantry student enrollment form. The form is required to verify your status as a student and to supply important information, such as your allergies and residents in your household.

Once the form is completed, students must submit a separate form to request food from either Brownsville or Edinburg. The forms for Brownsville and Edinburg are different, so be sure to select the most convenient location for pick-up.

WEEKLY FOOD DISTRIBUTION SCHEDULE

• Brownsville – Cavalry Hall 101 & 102, Tuesdays from 2-5 p.m. and Fridays from 1-4 p.m.
• Edinburg –University Center Rm 114, Mondays and Fridays from 1-4 p.m.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Members of the UTRGV community interested in volunteering for the pantry can click here to get started. You can also email  foodpantry@utrgv.edu or call 956-665-3663 to learn more about how to volunteer.

Anyone not associated with UTRGV who wants to help with food or monetary donations to the UTRGV Student Food Pantry can click here to learn more about how to donate.