The University of North Texas at Dallas will host a pair of mobile food pantries this weekend. The university in southern Dallas started mobile pantries in 2020 during the pandemic, but has continued as the school says people who live nearby have continued to deal with "food insecurity."
"That's what this special event is for because there are a lot of people right now without jobs. There are a lot of people who can't feed their children," says Dr. Sabrina Hodge, who runs UNT Dallas' Trailblazer Elite program. "This is an opportunity for us to pour unto others."
The program helps first-generation college students adjust to life at UNT Dallas. Hodge said the program can help students find healthcare, babysitting, counseling, and tutoring. She said they also help students apply for internships.
"We provide wrap-around services and support," she said. "We cater to these students throughout the year because they sometimes feel like they have no hope. They feel like, 'I don't know if I'm going to graduate.' Our program helps provide resources to do that."
Hodge said a lot of students who benefit from the program wind up volunteering to help others later.
The mobile pantry runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Families will receive 40 pounds of food, including a ham or turkey.
"We wanted to make sure everyone has something," Hodge said. "We're in a season of giving. We love to give back."
UNT Dallas is working with the North Texas Food Bank and the nonprofit Services of Hope. Friday, they will be able to serve 500 families. Saturday, they will have enough food for 1,500 families.
Hodge said Services of Hope can help families meet needs beyond food.
"They are able to get you these things for free: food if you need, diapers if you need, milk for your children," she said. "This organization we're partnering with, they do that on a daily basis."
Hodge said meeting those needs can help students and families living nearby succeed long-term.
"To be able to help someone with some basic needs, now they have a sense of security," she said. "Now they have more hope and less stress."
This year, UNT Dallas said its work with the North Texas Food Bank and other nonprofits had provided 409,000 pounds of food to 13,000 families.
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