COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The 12th Can, a student-run food pantry affiliated with the Brazos Valley Food Bank, is organizing a food drive in partnership with the Texas A&M Foundation to assist students, faculty and staff facing food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19.
The food drive will begin Wednesday, April 15 through Thursday, April 30. Members of the community can donate food items to the 12th Can outside the Jon L. Hagler Center, the Texas A&M Foundation’s headquarters, at 401 George Bush Drive in College Station, Texas.
A number of marked donation boxes will be placed under the Foundation’s front awning in its circle driveway from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Monday through Friday, allowing donors to drop off food items while still maintaining social distancing.
The most needed items for the food drive include pasta, beans (dried or canned), and canned protein.
“Now more than ever, Aggies who are still on campus need reliable access to nutritious food,” said Michael Collum, director of the 12th Can. “The goal of the 12th Can continues to be that no Aggie ever goes hungry. This includes every student, staff and faculty member who is still in the area and qualifies for our services.”
The 12th Can’s goal is to eliminate hunger at Texas A&M University, bring awareness to food insecurity in college communities and show others the power of the Aggie Spirit. The organization conducts food drives and distributes food items via its pantry. Its clientele is 43 percent students, 52 percent staff and five percent faculty. It has seen a 30 percent increase in clients since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Individuals unable to drop off food items may also choose to donate online to the 12th Can’s operating fund through the Texas A&M Foundation. Gifts to this fund will support food purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the purchase of bags to provide food in prepackaged units, which are provided free to clients.
“The Texas A&M Foundation exists to serve this great university, and our entire team takes great pride in doing as much as we possibly can for the student body,” said Tyson Voelkel, president of the Foundation. “Students are the lifeblood of what makes this place unique, and we hope our efforts help those in need.”
