By Paige Brazil
The 12th Can is a student-led food pantry located on the Texas A&M University campus. The food pantry is fully run and operated by Texas A&M students who strive for inclusivity on campus by making every Aggie feel comfortable visiting the food pantry.
Since opening in 2013, the goal of the 12th Can has been to eliminate hunger on the Texas A&M campus and bring awareness to food insecurity by showing others the power of the Aggie spirit, according to their website.
“Our job and goal is to eliminate choosing between buying textbooks and other school supplies or buying food,” says David Chapa, facilities director of 12th Can. 12th Can is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, partnered with the Brazos Valley Food Bank, and falls under the umbrella of the Student Government Association, according to Chapa.
The 12th Can, as their mission statement explains, strives to make the Texas A&M campus a place of inclusivity by educating the community about food security and hosting fundraisers in order to keep their pantry fully stocked for students, staff, and faculty. Their primary fundraiser, collecting meal swipe donations, happens toward the end of the spring and fall semesters.
“We partner with Chartwells, the dining services provider on campus, and they allow us to get students to donate their meal swipes, then Student Assistance Services reallocates them to students in need,” says Chapa. “This is a great way for us to fight food insecurity by helping Aggies from all walks of life.”
Aside from their partnership with Chartwells, the 12th Can receives donations year-round from other student outlets at Texas A&M. “A lot of other student organizations on campus do fundraisers and donate the nonperishable food they collect to the 12th Can food pantry,” says Chapa. “The freshman leadership organizations donate tons of cans through their Mr. FLO competition. We are always accepting donations. Even if it’s only a little bit, it goes a long way for people who need it.”
When students visit the 12th Can food pantry, they are encouraged to take as much as they need. It is the goal of the 12th Can to make students feel comfortable and welcomed when shopping at the food pantry, says Chapa. The pantry process is based on a client choice model, where a normal shopping experience is replicated for clients in order to achieve the highest level of comfortability, according to their website.
The 12th Can is fully run and operated by students within the organization. “We have around 70 active members,” says Chapa. “Our application is always open; we always need the extra help and enthusiasm.”
The 12th Can food pantry is open the first and third Wednesday and Thursday of each month from 10am to 4:30pm and is located in the Mail Services Building. For more information about the 12th Can, visit www.the12thcan.org.
