Patriot Pantry

On-Campus Food Pantry

Started by the Student Government Association in 2019, the Patriot Pantry is an on-campus food resource for students, employees, and community. The pantry is 100% donor funded through a combination of food and monetary donations. Last academic year (2024 - 2025), the Patriot Pantry saw an average of 40 visitors a week and distributed on average 305+ items per week.

The busiest weeks include the beginning of the school year and the week before holiday breaks. The pantry is meant to be only supplementary assistance; students with consistent food insecurity are directed to long term assistance through nonprofits in the areas such as PATH and East Texas Food Bank.

The Patriot Pantry is dedicated to helping those in need. Its mission is to provide food and personal care items to members of the UT Tyler community. It is our goal that no student goes to class hungry!

Fall 2025 Hours: *Note Pantry hours change per semester. 

Monday	3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday	2:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday	3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday	2:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Friday	3:00 PM - 5:30 PM

The Pantry is closed on the weekends and major school holidays. The pantry is available outside of hours only for emergency situations. Please contact UT Tyler Police Department, and they will provide access to the pantry in emergency situations - 903.566.7300.

If you are in immediate need and we are not available, you can check out the other food resources in Tyler.

Location:
Located in Library 223 (outside of the library main doors).

Most needed items

Canned meats  - chicken, tuna (Pop top lids are preferred but not required! ) Meals in a can (soup, stew, chili, ravioli) Hormel Compleats Meals Canned fruit  Breakfast on the go (pop-tarts, cereal)  Snacks (granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, etc.) Pastas (Mac-n-Cheese, Ramen, etc.) Peanut butter Jelly Cereal Bath and hygiene products (Toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant) Pasta Sauce

We cannot accept

Expired items  Baked goods Foods in opened packaging Foods with no expiration date listed  Raw meat

We accept food and monetary donations all year. Email us to set up a food donation. UT Tyler Faculty and Staff can set up a payroll deduction.

Donate online to the Patriot Pantry

Questions - Contact patriotpantry@uttyler.edu

Upcoming Events:

Donations for Citations: Donate food items & get up to $50 off your parking citation. (Terms and Conditions):  

• Donate food items & get up to $50 off your parking citation: the credit only covers $50.00; If your balance is more than $50.00, you are responsible for paying the remaining balance. 
  • Ex. $50 Citation + $10 late fee (applied 10-days after citation was issued) 
  • We subtract the $50 from the citation, which leaves a $10 late fee
• Donations for Citations will not start until October 16, 2025 unless given permission by the office of Parking
• Donations will continue to be accepted throughout the semester but will not start until October 16th.
• A photo ID must be presented.  
• Persons must complete a Qualtrics form provided by pantry staff
• Credit can only be applied to parking citations not a parking pass. 
• All donated items must be on the Patriot Pantry list and matched quantity to acquire a $50 credit. 
• Donated items must be unopened and not damaged. 
• Each donated item is worth $5 credit. 
• This can only be used once a semester. 
• The 10 items should be a variety of items (For example: 5 packages of Ramen noodles and 5 boxes of Mac and Cheese)

Stop by the Patriot Pantry on Thursday, October 16, 2025 2:00 - 4:00 PM for this semester's Donations for Citations Event! 

Pack the Pantry: Pack the Pantry happens every November! This is a competition between Student Organizations to see who can collect the most food donations for the pantry! This year, the UT Tyler University Academy is also participating.