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.
The Comet Cupboard service could not exist or grow without your help. Donations fund all of the food and personal care items distributed from the Comet Cupboard, as well as day-to-day operations and other critical initiatives that help ensure that Comets don’t need to worry about their basic needs during their academic journey. As we finish out the current academic year, donations have allowed the Comet Cupboard to distribute over 35,000 food and personal care items to hungry Comets.
The past year provided opportunities for the Comet Cupboard to go beyond just feeding our students, however. Donations to the Comet Cupboard also allowed for the following initiatives to help expand its mission.
- Construction of a garden plot on the grounds of the UT Dallas Community Garden, which provides an ability to distribute fresh produce
- Community partnership with the North Texas Food Bank, which allows for the distribution of refrigerated and frozen items
- Cross-campus collaboration to provide menstrual equity awareness and access for the UT Dallas student community
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
| Rank | State | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TX | 236 |
| 2 | CA | 4 |
| 3 | WA | 3 |
