In The News

Denton Record-Chronicle

Many universities in Texas have opened food pantries on campus. The University of North Texas opened their pantry in January 2015. The pantry at UNT came after there was a task force to figure out ways to help students who were homeless, said Rodney Mitchell, associate dean of students.

Friday morning, sophomore Lesia James made her regular stop in Suite 200 of the Old Main Building at Texas Woman’s University.

Inside the TWU social work program’s office is a discreet refrigerator stocked with produce from Johnson’s Backyard Garden, and a large office closet with shelves of dry goods. Students and employees can go into the pantry, past Nila Ricks’ office, and take as much food as they need. No questions asked.

James always checks the fridge first, looking for fresh vegetables and fruits for her teenage son. She wants to teach him healthy habits. Then it’s on to the pantry, where she can grab toilet paper, rice and tuna.

“I’m a single parent and going back to school, and the pantry helps me tremendously,” James said. “I also don’t have transportation, and at others [food pantries], it’s like going to work all day. You have to stand in line and register, whereas here, by being a student, it’s easy access. I just come in and come out.”

Managed by the Student Association for Social Work, a student group for those majoring in social work, the pantry has been on campus for about 30 years, Ricks said. Ann Moore, the group’s food pantry coordinator, said the pantry gives away about 600 pounds of food a month.

What’s been tradition at TWU is now part of a growing trend at colleges in the state, where at least 14 schools have opened food pantries, according to a recent Texas Tribune article. Texas Tech University opened a pantry this summer, and the University of North Texas opened its pantry in January 2015.

The pantry at UNT came after there was a task force to figure out ways to help students who were homeless, said Rodney Mitchell, associate dean of students. Staff members noticed more students were couch surfing or sleeping in university buildings, and while they can’t provide free housing for everyone, food is a start.

This becomes an entry point to begin helping students address other basic needs and issues.

“We use the term holistic,” Mitchell said. “We’re not just looking to provide food for students, but we want to talk to them about resources. We’re going to see what their needs are overall.”

Students make an appointment with the dean of students office, where they have the option to talk to staff members about what else they need before going to the pantry. Staff members try to direct the student to more resources, like the career center to find a part-time job, or to on-campus counseling because they’ve hit a rough patch. Since opening, UNT has had more than 1,000 visits to the pantry.

Both pantries at TWU and UNT are stocked solely through donations. Many classes at both campuses host food drives for the pantries. There are also large events like TWU’s Halloween gathering, Boo at the U, where food donations are requested.

Staples at both pantries include peanut butter and ramen noodles. Any unusual items tend to leave the shelves quickly. Moore said when the TWU pantry got a donation of school supplies recently, it was gone within a day.

There are no limits or stipulations on how much or how often students can come by the pantry at either campus, and they get to pick out their own food. This way, students have more of a choice, and it helps lift the stigma of coming in and asking for help, Ricks said.

“Just because they’re in need doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have choices,” she said. “We’re about empowering them, even if they are in need.”