TSTC’s Giving Day strives to alleviate food insecurity

(RED OAK, Texas) – Texas State Technical College hosted a statewide Giving Day on Tuesday, April 11, to raise money to help combat food insecurity on its campuses.

The event was planned by The TSTC Foundation in partnership with TSTC’s Advocacy and Resource Center.

TSTC’s North Texas campus raised money through a Breakfast Bonanza, where faculty and staff could donate $10 and receive a breakfast of smoothies and breakfast tacos. 

“It was a good day to gather up and share a few minutes together with some breakfast and, ultimately, to be able to come together as a campus community to support our students who have a need, who need food, and need a resource that we can assist with,” Marcus Balch, provost of the North Texas campus, said.

The money that each campus raised will go directly toward that campus’ effort to support its food pantry and help with any food insecurity among its students.

The TSTC Foundation’s representative for the North Texas campus, Ryan Thornton, said events specifically dedicated to helping campus food pantries had been stopped due to the pandemic and many campuses had struggled to replenish their supplies.

“That’s one of the reasons we earmarked this day, to help with those inconsistencies of our students not being able to get food they need, resources they need and social services they need,” he said.

Balch also saw this event as an opportunity to continue regrowing the campus community.

“Giving Day was an opportunity to continue to rebuild our campus community post-COVID,” he said. “ We’ve started having a lot more activities on campus and a lot more opportunities to get together, but really to continue to rebuild some of the things that we had in place before COVID.”

TSTC’s North Texas campus had over 20 faculty and staff who attended the event, and over $1,195 was raised. 

Statewide, 219 faculty and staff donated over $17,374.

To contribute to TSTC campus food pantries or scholarships, visit tstc.edu/give.

For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.