The Student Access and Resource Center in University Hall is one of several locations where individuals can donate items. Suggested donations include rice, canned food and paper towels.
“Fill the Pantry, Fill the Heart” is a nonperishable food drive started by Andres Morales, Student Body vice president, to address food insecurity within the Maverick community during the holiday season.
Apart from Student Government, seven departments and three Greek organizations on campus are participating in the initiative, which began Oct. 16 and will run through Nov. 15.
Wanting to give back to the community, Morales connected with emergency assistance coordinator Courtney Liang and Michelle Kelly, health and well-being assistant vice president.
A Maverick Pantry donation bin sits inside the Follett Student Leadership Center on Oct. 24 at the University Center. Over 10 donation locations are available across campus.
“It was a really great idea,” Liang said. “So we’re like, ‘Yes, let us know what we can do to help.’”
Bins are available around campus for donations, and a list of the most needed food items is on the Student Government’s Instagram page. To donate, students and staff can drop off items into the bins to be collected at the end of the day.
Examples of donation items include small bags of rice or dry beans, canned tuna, dried pasta and peanut butter.
Kelly said that the timing of this effort perfectly coincides with recent federal changes that have affected local food banks.
A donation bin for Maverick Pantry sits outside the Student Government office in University Center Room B160 on Oct. 24. The food drive is being held in collaboration with several other campus organizations.
Morales said that if there’s excess donations, the coordinators plan to donate to Mission Arlington, a faith-based nonprofit that serves the Arlington community.
“That way we’re not just feeding our campus, but we’re also feeding the city itself,” he said.
Morales is hopeful to make this an annual tradition, contributing to campus culture, he said.
“It’s fellow Mavericks feeding fellow Mavericks.”
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