TIAA Community Specific Grant Helps Fight College Hunger

$25,000 grant from retirement and investment firm TIAA is supporting the North Texas Food Bank in combatting food insecurity at college campuses.

The North Texas Food Bank is grateful to TIAA for its commitment to college students throughout North Texas.

The retirement planning and investment firm awarded the NTFB a $25,000 grant to support its College Hunger program, which includes pantries at 15 campuses throughout NTFB’s 13-county service area.

College students reported experiencing food insecurity at more than twice the rate of the overall population, according to a 2020 analysis by the U.S. Department of Education Postsecondary Student Aid Survey. Locally, the University of Texas at Dallas reports that 27% of those who responded to its Basic Needs Survey said they had skipped or cut meals because they couldn’t afford food, and 33% said they are worried about where their next meal will come from.

Without adequate access to nutritious food, students can struggle to focus and ultimately to stay in school and succeed in their pursuit of a degree and future career. The NTFB and its partner campuses are working to ensure hunger is never a barrier.  

“TIAA’s generosity will fuel student success by creating opportunities for the right food at the right time, diversifying product for first-generation students and all college students across North Texas,” said Tyler Miller, NTFB Program Specialist who works with college pantries.

In FY24, the NTFB provided college students with access to 951,318 meals.

Pantries exist at Collin College, Dallas College, Grayson College, Texas A&M Commerce, Navarro College, University of North Texas and University of Texas Dallas campuses.

Each campus tailors their pantry program to meet the needs of their students.

AT UTD, for example, their Comet Cupboard recently expanded and now provides up to 600 students each week with fresh produce, meat, dairy and pantry staples and snacks. The pantry has a physical location, and it also hosts pop-up events.

Grayson College also has a physical pantry location, and its staff have set up five newspaper stand-style kiosks stocked with snacks since they know students who commute to campus often don’t visit the physical pantry.

TIAA’s generous contribution will support the ongoing provision of food to each of the NTFB’s 15 partner college pantries.

Said one student at Dallas College, “Having these opportunities to get a snack or breakfast here, it just helps you maintain focus. ‘OK, I don’t have to worry about this one thing.’ The North Texas Food Bank has been a great help with that.’”

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