| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.36 |
| Liaison | Marianella Franklin |
| Submission Date | Jan. 10, 2023 |
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
IN-14: Food Bank
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Marianella
Franklin Director of Sustainability The Office For Sustainability |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution host a food bank, pantry, or equivalent resource focused on alleviating food insecurity, hunger and poverty among students?:
Yes
A brief description of the food bank, pantry, or equivalent resource:
The Student Food Pantry's mission is to assist students in need at UTRGV by providing food supplements to those who have been impacted by financial problems/conditions and subsequently are experiencing difficulty meeting their basic need of adequate nutrition.
The UTRGV Student Food Pantry is under the auspices of the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley. Its funding is possible through year-round charitable fundraising events and donations. Students and community members are welcome to volunteer/coordinate a food drive or fundraising event.
Food pantry staff also assist students with the applications for food stamps and/or other social services. The organic community garden on campus also donates produce to the pantry when possible.
Another equivalent resource is the Campus Food Security Initiative (CFSI). Developed in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic as a response to a 2019 study conducted by Graduate Sustainability fellows that indicated that about 44% of students experienced hunger on a daily basis, it served weekly
produce markets and fresh meals with “pay what you feel” pricing model, at the two main campuses (Edinburg & Brownsville). This model
created a leveling field for faculty, staff, administrators, and students to enjoy a basket of fresh produce and delicious single-serving, plant-based meals without a fixed price tag attached to them.
Lastly, the Hub of Prosperity, an urban farm partnership between Edinburg First United Methodist Church and UTRGV Agroecology, aims to be a regional model of a local, sustainable food system that encourages civic engagement and develops scientific capacity around food and agriculture while improving food self-reliance for the University and the local area community.
The UTRGV Student Food Pantry is under the auspices of the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley. Its funding is possible through year-round charitable fundraising events and donations. Students and community members are welcome to volunteer/coordinate a food drive or fundraising event.
Food pantry staff also assist students with the applications for food stamps and/or other social services. The organic community garden on campus also donates produce to the pantry when possible.
Another equivalent resource is the Campus Food Security Initiative (CFSI). Developed in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic as a response to a 2019 study conducted by Graduate Sustainability fellows that indicated that about 44% of students experienced hunger on a daily basis, it served weekly
produce markets and fresh meals with “pay what you feel” pricing model, at the two main campuses (Edinburg & Brownsville). This model
created a leveling field for faculty, staff, administrators, and students to enjoy a basket of fresh produce and delicious single-serving, plant-based meals without a fixed price tag attached to them.
Lastly, the Hub of Prosperity, an urban farm partnership between Edinburg First United Methodist Church and UTRGV Agroecology, aims to be a regional model of a local, sustainable food system that encourages civic engagement and develops scientific capacity around food and agriculture while improving food self-reliance for the University and the local area community.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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