Monday, July 14, 2025
July 18 campus FREE Food Giveaway targets "Summer Hunger" Among Local Families
Children who are home from school over the summer often don't get the nutritional
support they need to stay healthy and strong. That's why UNT Dallas and the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) are teaming up to fight "summer hunger" with a special family-focused distribution
of free products on Friday, July 18, 2025, from 8 a.m. to noon.
UNT Dallas's President Dr. Warren von Eschenbach speaks with a volunteer at a UNT Dallas-NTFB Mobile food pantry distribution
“Summer break should be an opportunity to play, grow, and bond,” said Dr. Warren von Eschenbach, President of UNT Dallas. “Through this partnership with NTFB, we are helping ensure families, students, and children of all ages can enjoy their summer while staying nourished and healthy. It’s part of our mission to serve and strengthen our community.”
Each participating family will receive about 60 pounds of nutritious food, including
fresh produce, to help fill the gap left when school-provided meals are unavailable.
The drive-through distribution does not require pre-registration nor an ID. Recipients
must have a vehicle, and food will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis
until supplies run out.
Volunteers from North Texas Food Bank unload pallets of products at a mobile food pantry distribution on the UNT Dallas Campus
The costs of food, gas, and housing continue to force tough decisions for families across every ZIP code—decisions no one should have to make, such as choosing between groceries and medicine or utilities. “For families who count on free or reduced-price school meals, summer can mean finding a way to provide up to 10 additional meals per week for each child,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “That’s a heavy burden for many households already struggling with rising costs.”
The need for food assistance remains high across North Texas. A recent Feeding America study found that Texas has the highest number of food-insecure people of any state, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area ranks third in the nation. Within NTFB’s 12-county service area, nearly 744,000 people, including more than 250,000 children, don’t always know where their next meal will come from. Over 60% of that population lives in Dallas County.
So far this year, the UNT Dallas’ monthly mobile pantry events have provided approximately
140,000 pounds of food to more than 1,500 families and 7,000 people. Long lines usually form on University Hills Blvd. well before the gates open.
AKA Sorority Members from UNT Dallas load products into an SUV at mobile food pantry distribution
UNT Dallas has partnered with NTFB since 2020, hosting monthly mobile food distributions on campus. Each event is supported by student, faculty, and staff volunteers, providing relief to campus and community members. The university also operates the Trailblazers Care Pantry, an on-campus resource that provides groceries, hygiene products, and a Career Closet for students preparing for interviews or internships.
Neighbors seeking food assistance can visit ntfb.org/our-programs/get-food-assistance/find-a-food-pantry to find a food pantry nearby that provides food and often other services, or they
can find mobile food distributions across North Texas. Neighbors can also contact
the North Texas Food Bank to learn about Senior Programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
From UNT Dallas News – Community