About the Comet Cupboard
The Comet Cupboard food pantry, an on-campus student-led initiative, began operations in 2012 and is dedicated to helping students in need achieve academic success by alleviating their food insecurity challenges. Additionally, undergraduate Comets are able to engage in volunteerism and leadership with The Comet Cupboard as a service-learning experience that helps students value community over individualism. 
Comet Cupboard – Quick Facts (Including the Comet Cupboard’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic)
- Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, over 1,500 students used the Comet Cupboard over 5,000 times during the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters.
- During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Comet Cupboard team, with the help of amazing staff volunteers, have issued over 9,200 emergency food and personal care distributions.
- The Comet Cupboard typically engages around 300 undergraduate student volunteers per year in a variety of service and leadership roles.
- In addition to distributing both perishable and non-perishable food items to Comets in need, the Comet Cupboard also provides personal care and necessary household items.
- Food and personal care items distributed from the Comet Cupboard come entirely from donations given by individuals and groups who share the common goal of eliminating hunger on the UT Dallas campus
About Food Insecurity and College Students
Did You Know? According to four-year college students surveyed in College and University Basic Needs Insecurity: A National #RealCollege Survey Report:
- 44% worried their food would run out before they had money to buy more.
- 47% could not afford to eat balanced meals.
- 35% cut the size of or skipped their meals because they didn’t have enough money to buy food.
- 34% ran out of food before they had money to buy more.
- 28% felt hungry but didn’t eat because they didn’t have enough money to buy food.
- 20% did not eat for a whole day because they didn’t have enough money to buy food.
- 16% lost weight because they did not have food.
- 8% did not eat for a whole day because they did not have enough food.
Food insecurity compromises a student’s ability to achieve academic success. According to college students surveyed in the College and University Food Bank Alliance’s Hunger on Campus study, 53% report missing a class, 55% did not buy a required textbook, and 25% dropped a class because of hunger or housing problems.
We value each student and want to ensure they have their essential needs met in order to achieve their full potential during their academic journey. Please join us to continue the mission of feeding hungry Comets, both during this Covid-19 pandemic, and beyond. Let’s create a #hungerfreeUTD!
User Testimonials
“The experience was amazing. Very helpful for students in harsh economic conditions.”
“When I first started using the Comet Cupboard, I was in a really bad place and felt embarrassed about letting anyone else know. That fact is that it helped me so much that I would go to the Comet Cupboard as often as I could…Eventually, I was like a walking commercial for this resource because I felt like everyone in need should take advantage of it.”
“Comet Cupboard has helped me immensely by getting me enough supplies during the rough times.”
“Comet Cupboard allowed me to sustain in that period in which i was most vulnerable. The easy pickups on campus helped mitigate all the risks and also helped me a lot financially in those difficult times.”
“Comet Cupboard has ensured that all the students keep getting essentials so that we can focus more on studies and finding jobs. I am so grateful to the Comet Cupboard.”
