Miguel Gonzalez EDINBURG – The UTRGV Food Pantry program is gaining attention as students learn they can pick up free weekly groceries /from items including proteins, vegetables and legumes with a valid student ID.
To order a bag, students must submit a one-time enrollment form at a food pantry of their choice, either in Edinburg or Brownsville.
Students are allowed to pick up two canned vegetables, one can of beans, two protein items, and one item from each category like grains, fruit, dairy, and others.
Once an order is submitted, students can go to their chosen food pantry on their distribution days to pick it up.
Brownsville distribution days are Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and Fridays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Edinburg distribution days are Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Osbel Olivarez, food pantry graduate assistant, said the only requirement to be eligible to use the food pantry is the students ID.
“We don’t ask for your grades, we don’t ask for your economic status, we just ask for your student ID,” he said.
Olivarez said individuals can donate at the food pantry at 114 University Center on the Edinburg campus and in Casa Bella Club House on the Brownville campus.
He said there are yellow bins where individuals can leave items to donate.
“We are always available to answer your questions,” Olivarez said. “We’re just really wanting to destigmatize what the pantry has around it. It’s a really great place with great food, all for free and I think every student should have it.”
