Patriot Pantry Provides Relief from Citations and Food Insecurity

By SANTIAGO NUNEZ/Staff Writer

It is 30 minutes past noon, MaryJane Calderon, a junior art major, is holding a granola bar and a can of soda. They soon will be the only things she has eaten this day.

“For me, it’s like I don’t know when the next time I’m going to be eating something is so I might as well just kind of hoard what I have,” Calderon said.

Calderon is living her usual routine, where she carefully plans what and when she’ll eat, because her food and money are incredibly scarce.

“I feel like not knowing when your next meal gives you so much anxiety throughout the day,” she said. “Even the symptoms of not having something to eat, like you get headaches, your stomach hurts, you’re feeling nauseous, so you know that you have to prepare for that, so you get kind of depressed.”

Food insecurity is a stark reality far too many college students face every day, through both mental and physical battles. According to a survey of students attending a two-year college by the Hope Center, an action research center with a focus on higher education, 38% of students experienced food insecurity within 30 days of the survey.

Additionally, college students who experience food insecurity are 42% less likely to graduate, according to the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest biomedical library.

Students everywhere have to find ways to tackle this issue, but can UT Tyler students find resources on campus?

PATRIOT PANTRY

Located on the first floor of Muntz Library, next to the main entrance, the Patriot Pantry is open to all students and stocks quick snacks or items to make a meal. Students can visit 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and 1 and 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“The main thing is that everything in here is free,” said Alejandra Martinez, a senior in the Communication Sciences and Disorders
program who serves as the student assistant in Patriot Pantry. “We are here to help give support to the students, faculty, and even community members. We’re here as a resource to help as much as we can.”

There are no financial barriers of any kind at Patriot Pantry. Students do not need to provide financial records or pay for anything. It’s a walk-in experience.

“There’s not many rules in place, just because we’ve had a good outcome of students following being respectful,” Martinez said. “So, it’s more of like a free space, open space. We haven’t had any problems, so anyone can just come in, do the intake form, and get what they need.”

Click here to see the food items the Patriot Pantry needs most as donations.

The shelves are lined with essentials like canned soup, instant pasta, ramen cups, breakfast foods, and other dorm-room staples. The pantry caters to what most people on a college campus would use for food.

“I’ve had people come in really grateful that they have some relief, knowing that they can come in and get some stuff they need for the week and not worry about the financial burden that going grocery shopping has,” Martinez said.

Martinez recalls people who have gotten emotional about having a place to get food without worrying about the price of everything. She says that such people make working there rewarding and enjoyable.

“A good percent of college students deal with food insecurity, and that makes their grades get lower,” Martinez said. “They suffer academically, so having a pantry available for students to get through their day-to-day definitely benefits their overall academic status.”

HELPING THOSE WHO HELP

There are a litany of benefits for students at the Patriot Pantry, but occasionally, the Patriot Pantry needs a hand from students.

“The pantry does not have a funding source,” said Camry Tharp, the Assistant Director of Leadership and Service for Student Engagement, who oversees the pantry. ” We exist solely from donated food and money.

This fall, we have seen an increase in usage, I think, from the exposure piece. We have tried very hard to remove the stigma of using a food pantry because we know that many of our students experience food insecurity,”

The reliance on donations means occasionally, the shelves aren’t completely stocked, especially this semester, which has seen an increase in usage.

“It’s been a lot more visited now, maybe at least 20 to 25 people, … compared to five people,” Martinez said. “It’s a big change.”

Factors have led to limiting students to a maximum of two of each item per visit. But there is a way students can help and receive benefits at the same time. Students who donate to the pantry as part of the Donations for Citations event on Nov. 28 can receive up to $50 credit on parking citations received from September through December 2023.

LASTING IMPACT 

“We want our students to feel supported and comfortable with using the pantry because we know that if we can help them fight hunger, we can help them to persist to graduation,” Tharp said.

Spreading the word about the Patriot Pantry and its benefits is the first step in a series of chain reactions leading to a positive impact on student’s lives.

“Knowing that I can go at least between one of my classes and be able to eat something will definitely help in terms of not panicking as much because that means that I won’t be so anxious about it,” Calderon said. “I can at least go there; I know I have something to eat, so I feel like it’ll be less stressful on my other classes as well. I won’t be thinking about food the entire time.”

---

CHECK OUT OTHER CAMPUS STORIES 

UT Tyler Graduate Student Finding Causes and Cures for Parkinson’s Disease

Hub for artistry: SAAHA student leaders share their vision

PHOTO ESSAY: Afrobeats, A Night of Fun and Funk