Texas Tech University

Food Pantry Started for Students in Need

In universities around the globe, students are focused on preparing for their future, but recent studies show that there are many students who are skipping meals because they lack the funds to eat. They are spending all of their money on books and tuition, leaving very little left for food and basic necessities. To these students, the future is going to be bright, but the present is bleak.


Food Pantry

It is sometimes difficult to identify these students because they don't want to be stigmatized by their poverty or burden others with their need. It is for these students that the Office of International Affairs, Graduate Student Advisory Council, and Student Government Association have come together to create a solution for our students:
a "Wreck Hunger" Food Pantry.

In the course of researching other colleges and universities across the U.S. in hopes of finding a system that would work at Texas Tech, we found that there are numerous systems that range from card-swiping every student to the honor system. Each place we researched had their own system and their own reasoning. The task was more daunting than we originally thought. As we deliberated about what would work best at Tech, we concluded that we could work out the details later, but in the meantime, we wanted to provide for hungry students now.

This decision has allowed us to help students right now with limited donations from great organizations. We have food that covers three shelves. We have a closet to store it. We have the beginnings of what we hope will be a benefit to students. As we are in the first stages, we are working out kinks and questions as we go. Everything we have done has one purpose: help students first.

We hope to grow the food pantry in the upcoming months and years so we can stop hearing stories of students too hungry to go to class or too hungry to concentrate on schoolwork. We want to let Texas Tech faculty and staff know where the pantry is, and encourage them to help the students in need. The current location is in the Graduate Center, the basement of the Administration Building.

If you know of a student who is in need, or of someone who would like to donate, please contact International Student Life gmail: ttuinternationalstudentlife@gmail.com

Graduate and International Food Pantry Items Needed

Canned & Jarred Items

  • Beans, vegetables, fruits, soups, spaghettis sauce, meats, tuna fish,salmon, applesauce, mix fruits
  • Cooking oils
  • Condiments (catsup, mustard, spices etc.)
  • Peanut Butter, jams, jellies

Dried Goods

  • Rice, beans, peas, soup mixes, pastas, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs
  • Instant scalloped and mashed potatoes
  • Dried fruit
  • Flour, sugar, cake/muffin/pancake mixes, dried milk, cereals, crackers

Microwaveable, Ready to eat Items

  • Individually packaged dinners that are shelf stable (do not requirerefrigeration)
  • Macaronic cheese mixes, soups, oatmeal packets

Snacks

  • Dried fruits, raisins, nuts in small packages
  • Fruit cups, applesauce, puddings
  • Individual size crackers, small peanut butter or cheesecrackers, granola bars, pretzels popcorn, etc.

Hot Drinks

  • Instant coffees, teabags, sugar, creamer, individual bags of hotchocolate

Beverages

  • Juice boxes individually wrapped
  • Bottled water, canned beverages, juice

Kitchen

  • Can openers
  • Cooking utensils
  • Plates, cups, napkins
  • Paper towels
  • Toilet tissues

Personal Hygiene

  • Toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss
  • Shampoo (ones from hotels work well)
  • Sanitary products
  • Soaps, deodorants

Cleaning Products

  • Dish soup
  • Laundry detergent
  • Cleaners

Baby Items

  • Baby formula and baby food

Miscellaneous

  • Paper and plastic shopping bags

Thank you for supporting the Graduate and International Students at Texas Tech University!