As students return to school, many are thinking about schedules, homework and seeing their friends. Others are thinking about how they will eat. The South Plains College food pantry is working to reduce food insecurity by providing college students with the resources they need.
“The food pantry is a really good thing that we have going for our students,” Administrative Assistant to the Director of Health and Wellness D’Liesa Burleson said.
“Whether it’s us helping them or our generous community, we’re going to fulfill our mission and improve each student’s life.”
Food insecurity can lead to a number of problems including academic difficulty, anxiety, poor attendance, depression and stress. The food pantry helps mitigate these problems. In addition to staple foods like beans, rice, peanut butter, cereal and more, the pantry keeps a stock of toiletry and hygiene items for students in need.
“It helps the well-being of the student,” Burleson said. “When you’re not having to worry about food, you can worry about your classes. You can worry about the paper that’s due tomorrow; you can concentrate; you can worry about other things.”
Those who need assistance or would like to refer someone else can apply online on the food pantry webpage. The application asks for basic identifying and contact information, where they attend class and which items they need. Burleson said the pantry has received 376 requests across the five SPC campuses from fall 2025 through the summer term.
“I want to say our international students are the ones that utilize this the most just because they don’t have access,” she said. “I feel like everybody deserves to have access to food because food is a brain power type thing. When your belly is full, you’re content and you’re okay, and that can help you go to the next task.”
The pantry takes monetary donations as well as non-perishable food items and men’s and women’s hygiene products. Checks must be earmarked for the Texan food pantry. Donations can be taken to the health and wellness center or the SPC foundation.
“I’ll get their name, their number and sometimes I’ll get an address for them, and I’ll send them thank you notes,” Burleson said. “I’ve been doing that for four years now since we’ve had it. We have a lot of donations come in, and what we don’t get donated, we have the funds that we can go and get the stuff.” The food pantry is part of SPC’s health and wellness center. Along with food, the center provides mental health counseling, disability and student health services and resource lists.
More information can be found on their page on the SPC website.
“The mission of the college is to improve each student’s life, so our goal here in this office is to help the students no matter what,” Burleson said. “We can be a listening ear, or we can fill their bellies. We’re just going to help them.”