UNT Dallas hosted its first mobile pantry of 2024 Friday morning. The school started working with the North Texas Food Bank to hold the pantries during the pandemic; the two continued the partnership as need continued.
Friday morning, the line of cars stretched about a mile to Interstate 20. Some in line say they had already been stopping at the pantries, but they knew they would need additional help now since they will have to spend more on natural gas and electricity as a result of the current cold weather.
"Electricity is too expensive, the natural gas, too," one man said. "That's why I come here because I'm broke."
"It's hard. You've got to make a decision because a lot of the people who work in this area work construction jobs and those dry up when it's this cold," another said.
UNT Dallas says volunteers gave out 23,952 pounds of food to 1.817 people Friday. The school says it had to turn away 40 cars.
Mobile pantries will continue monthly at least through the end of 2024.
"The families and the community are relying on the partnership we have with the North Texas Food Bank," says Joe Posada, the director of the office of student belonging at UNT Dallas.
Posada says UNT Dallas is in an area with a greater need for help, so mobile pantries can help both students and the surrounding neighborhood grow.
"It has an impact on our students inside and outside the classroom," he says. "To be able to help our students, their parents and also our community members understand food insecurity is just one part of what they need, and they can get support here."
UNT Dallas says about 70 percent of its students are the first in their family to go to college. The school has a food pantry for students on campus and can also provide practice for job interviews, clothing for interviews and help with career preparation.
"We know the first place our students get the skills to be successful in life is in the classroom, but the second is outside the classroom," Posada says. "They can connect with our team and get what they need."
Posada says he grew up in Oak Cliff himself and many of the volunteers who work at the mobile pantry have needed help before themselves. He says they have seen the lines get longer, not shorter.
"Our community depends on the partnerships we have and that we're a big staple in the southern sector," he says.
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