KILLEEN, Texas — As Thanksgiving approaches, many students can't afford to return to their hometowns to fellowship with family and eat a home-cooked meal.
Many have work obligations during the holiday season or simply don't have a home to go to. The National Center for Education Statistics reports nearly 1.5 million undergraduate students experience homelessness nationwide.
To help students in Central Texas, Texas A&M University of Central Texas is offering a free food program for students to access year-round.
The program is named 'The Campus Cupboard'. It is a student-run food pantry built to serve all students, staff and faculty in need of assistance.
New student programs coordinator Demarcus Parker explained the importance of giving students access to food and essential items they may need.
"Food is hard to come by for almost everyone right now," Parker explained. "So we have everything from canned goods to diapers in our pantry for our students to take advantage of."
The school has offered this pantry for over two years and helps at least 10 students each week. Not only do they have canned goods and dry food, but also essential items like soap and toothbrushes.
Texas A&M Central Texas nursing student Andrea Escobodo says from her research, food insecurity has grown to be a problem that affects a lot of people and has the potential to lead to health problems.
"It's a global health concern," Escobodo said. "This program is important because it can help potentially break cycles of poverty and even help students stay in school if they're struggling."
To keep this program going, donations are much appreciated to keep the pantry going.
Here is a list of some items that are currently lacking in the pantry:
- Food items
- Laundry detergent
- Canned meats
- Hygiene products
- Diapers/ Baby wipes
The program is also open to more volunteers to help organize the pantry and get the word out.
The pantry is located on the Texas A&M Central Texas campus in the Warriors Hall in room 110. It is open between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
For those who would like to donate, there are baskets around campus where people can drop off items and even an Amazon drop-off locker located on the side of the pantry where people can donate when the pantry is closed.
The Campus Cupboard is always looking to partner with student organizations, professional organizations, colleges, academic departments or corporate entities.
For more information on partnering with the school or to ask for any help anonymously, email the program at tamuctcupboard@tamuct.edu.
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