Forty volunteers, including Early College High School students, as well as other students, staff and faculty, volunteered in a Mobile Pantry Drive-Thru where they helped unpack over 22,000 pounds of food. The drive was set to start at 10 a.m. Jan. 31. in Parking Lot P3, with most volunteers arriving at 9 a.m. 

By 8:30 a.m. cars filled the P3 lot in a long winding line, the drivers ready to receive their packages. 

LaShae Miller, student care coordinator at Brookhaven Campus, said, “The line definitely displayed that there is a need for the services that we provide and we are just happy to be able to fulfill those.”

The items, provided by the North Texas Food Bank, unpacked at the drive ranged from individually packaged goods such as juice bottles and snacks, to produce such as potatoes and other fruits and vegetables.

Miller said: “As we all know, the prices on everything have gotten higher right now, so just being able to have fresh and healthy food items that are no cost to you can be very helpful to households.” 

After a short delay, the truck delivering the food arrived in P3 and the unpacking began.

Students, staff and faculty rotated duties throughout the day. “It brings us all together as a community.” Miller said. “It just lets us know that anyone can receive assistance, and it also gives us a glimpse of what service could be.”

Although the drive was planned to end at noon, the long line of cars as well as the late start to unpacking resulted in the event running later into the afternoon. This resulted in an unintentional intersection of events that day, as the Registered Student Organization Expo was taking place in S Building at the same time.

When a fire drill occurred in S Building at 11:57 a.m., attendees of the event, as well as all people in S Building, were directed to the evacuation line to P3, where the drive was taking place. 

As volunteers continued to serve the long line of cars at the drive, RSO Expo attendees waited for the all-clear signal on the other side of traffic cones, previously set up to direct cars in the drive and now serving as a barrier between the two events.

This drive was the last Mobile Pantry Drive-Thru for the semester at Brookhaven. Other Dallas College campuses will be hosting drives each month. Cedar Valley has a drive scheduled Feb. 28, with Mountain View’s in March. 

In addition, a clothing drive is planned to be held throughout the semester at Brookhaven’s food pantry.

Miller said any student, staff or faculty interested in volunteering for the pantry can stop by the pantry in J Building. 

Miller said: “We have service learning opportunities available if you need to volunteer for credit for a class, or if you just want to volunteer your time. We appreciate any capacity you can volunteer in.”