UTSA and Whataburger partner to support student success by fighting food insecurity

DECEMBER 25, 2021 — Editor's note: This article was originally published on August 26, 2021.

Through a dedicated partnership designed to support student success, UTSA has reopened its Main Campus food pantry in the Student Union. Now officially known as the UTSA Whataburger Resource Room, it is stocked with even more food items, toiletries, school supplies and essentials than before. With ongoing support from the San Antonio Food Bank, the Whataburger Resource Room will continue to provide nutritious food, free of charge, to UTSA students in need all year.

Food insecurity is a common obstacle for college students across the country. At UTSA, the food pantry provides a solution. By offering students food and daily necessities, it allows them to focus on their educational goals and achieve success instead of worrying about where they’ll find their next meal.

“These services enable our students in need to focus on their course work, which in turn helps them advance toward graduation.”

Representatives from UTSA, Whataburger and the San Antonio Food Bank celebrated the grand opening of the UTSA Whataburger Resource Room at the Student Union on August 25.

“Through the Whataburger Resource Room, we provide nutritious food to students in need of basic necessities. These services enable our students in need to focus on their course work, which in turn helps them advance toward graduation,” said Nikki Lee, senior associate director of the UTSA Student Union, who oversees the Whataburger Resource Room.

UTSA and Whataburger celebrated the reopening of the enhanced UTSA Whataburger Resource Room with a brief ceremony yesterday in the Student Union. Representatives from UTSA, Whataburger and the San Antonio Food Bank gave remarks.

The Roadrunner Pantry opened in March 2017 on the Main Campus. Since then, it has been visited by students nearly 11,000 times.

This summer, the pantry underwent major renovations to enhance the space for students. The renovated resource room is co-branded with Whataburger and UTSA décor. The room is made possible by Whataburger’s three-year commitment as part of the Whataburger Feeding Student Success Program, which helps college students succeed.

In February 2020, UTSA expanded its reach to students who attend classes at the Downtown Campus, joining efforts with Whataburger to open the Downtown Campus Whataburger Resource Room. That resource room was the first opened on campus by UTSA and Whataburger. It provides essentials, including food and other supplies, to Downtown Campus students.

The UTSA Student Union continues to dedicate staffing and resources for both the Main Campus and the Downtown Campus resource rooms. The rooms are UTSA-student operated, creating a unique opportunity for experiential learning in a service-driven role.

The Downtown Campus Whataburger Resource Room, located in the Durango Building (DB 1.306), and the Main Campus Whataburger Resource Room, located in the Student Union (SU 1.04.06), are open for the fall semester Mondays through Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

— Liz Rockstroh