UIW Combats Food Insecurity with Inaugural Pop-Up Food Distribution Event

On Thursday, Aug. 8, UIW’s Ettling Center for Civic Leadership & Sustainability (ECCLS), in partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank and the Health Equity Network, distributed over 8,000 pounds of food, beverages, fruits and vegetables to local community members at a pop-up market event hosted on UIW’s Broadway campus. The Health Equity Network is a group of community partners that aims to reduce food insecurity, improve housing stability, and expand access to care in San Antonio. 

The purpose of the event was to provide essential food items to local communities experiencing food insecurity, as well as to showcase the support that UIW and local organizations like the San Antonio Food Bank can provide to those in need. Volunteers representing UIW, San Antonio College, and Central Catholic High School all contributed to the success of this inaugural event..  

“Over the years, the University has strengthened its collaborative partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank, partly due to establishing the UIW Cardinals’ Cupboard Food Pantry,” shared Dr. Ricardo Gonzales, director of the ECCLS. “The inaugural food distribution event was a direct result of this strong relationship and the Health Equity Network's commitment to providing resources, information and food for college and high school students and their families.” 

With the first ever pop-up food distribution event impacting more than 500 members of the community, Gonzales looks forward to watching that impact grow in the coming years.  

“We are here for you. We are here to help, and we hope that we can make a small difference in the lives of others. This is who we are as an institution, as a Center and our Mission. The Ettling Center is a resource for our campus and local community members. Like Sister Dot (the Center’s founder), and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, we are here to serve those most in need,” he shared. 

The Ettling Center will host similar programs and activities throughout the 2024-2025 academic year to address food insecurity, including food distribution events scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 4 as part of the Center’s back to school programming and on Tuesday, Oct. 1 as part of the University’s National Night Out Event at Benson Stadium. While the primary focus of these events will be the campus community, the food and items distributed will be available to anyone in need. 

For more information on the Cardinals’ Cupboard Food Pantry, call (210) 283-6423 or email ccl@uiwtx.edu.