EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The UTRGV Student Food Pantry recently held a food drive and over two tons of food were collected.

The food pantry emailed representatives across the university to participate, and the call to action sparked widespread activity, according to the university’s news release.

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

UTRGV departments and colleges were asked to collect canned foods and non-perishable items for the drive. As the word got out the boxes around campus filled up quickly.

“We are so thankful for the generosity from our campus partners and departments,” Moore-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.”

According to the university, last year, the Student Food Pantry distributed over 16 tons of food over the course of 3,712 visits. This year’s drive helped restock the shelves and now 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 sparse.

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

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

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

Students interested in receiving food from the pantry should visit their website and fill out the food pantry student enrollment form.

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

The weekly food distribution schedule is as follows:

  • 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.

If interested in volunteering for the pantry click here. You can also email foodpantry@utrgv.edu or call (956) 665-3663.

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