Texas Border Business
McALLEN, Texas – South Texas College is fighting hunger on campus with three, already established student food pantries at its Pecan, Mid-Valley and Starr County campuses, and now a new student food pantry at its Technology Campus.
Brought to life through a donation by the STC Foundation, which donated $10,000 in August to assist pantries at all campuses, the new pantry ensures that the student community has access to nutritious food options, especially as the holiday season gets underway.
“We are so excited to support this initiative. Student success is definitely a priority for the foundation and being able to help them and their families is a double win for us,” said Nadia De La Garza, STC director of Fundraising and Foundation. “Providing this basic need will allow our students to focus on their studies and not where their next meal is coming from.”
The student food pantry at the Technology Campus is located in Building B, room 175 and will operate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
As the pantry gets underway, not only will it support students on campus who may be experiencing food insecurity, it will also offer resources to connect them with additional college services that will support retention and graduation.
“The opportunity to extend the food pantry to our Tech Campus has been very welcomed news. Students here can really use this service,” said Robert Alaniz, coordinator of Student Activities at Technology Campus. “A lot of our students work full-time jobs and come to school, so together we are all ensuring that we alleviate that stress they have when it comes to finding something to eat, and not just for themselves but for their families.”
An internal study conducted by the college last year, indicated that 44% of STC students experience food insecurity and 11% experience homelessness.
STC student Karsten Dutremaine said he has seen the problem first-hand and volunteers his time with the RGV Food Bank to assist with fighting hunger in Valley communities.
“I find it extremely important that all students have this assistance, and that they don’t have to worry about something like food insecurity,” Dutremaine said. “It’s the right thing to do. We are taking away the worry about where their next meal will come from and will allow them to focus on college and graduating, which is the most important thing.”
For more information on student food pantries at STC campuses, visit https://life.southtexascollege.edu/food-pantry/.
