Najim gives $1.25M to SA Food Bank to feed UTSA students in-need

UTSA President Taylor Eighmy (left) thanked philanthropist Harvey Najim (right) for his generous gift Wednesday at the Student Union.

JANUARY 29, 2025 — UTSA and the San Antonio Food Bank (SA Food Bank) jointly announced a $1.25 million gift today from local philanthropist and longtime supporter of both institutions Harvey E. Najim. The gift will help drive the missions of both organizations to fight food insecurity across UTSA’s campuses and the broader San Antonio community.

“Food should never be an obstacle to a world-class education,” said Najim. “I know the Food Bank will maximize my impact with their efficiencies which will in turn create a learning environment where all UTSA students have enough food to thrive and graduate.”

Representatives from The Najim Charitable Foundation, SA Food Bank and UTSA gathered at the UTSA Main Campus today to celebrate the announcement and tour the university’s Roadrunner Pantry.

Najim’s generous gift will extend over a 10-year-period with $125,000 donated to the SA Food Bank every year. The SA Food Bank provides millions of pounds of food to over 530 charitable organizations across Southwest Texas, including UTSA. In addition to food distribution, it supports a network of programs that are solving immediate hunger challenges and helping individuals and families achieve long‐term food security.

“Harvey Najim is a great champion for students of all ages in our community, and his support for college food security is unprecedented,” said Eric Cooper, president & CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank.

Food insecurity affects college students nationwide. In a 2019 College Hunger Survey conducted by Feeding America, out of 150 food banks that responded to the survey, 129 food banks (86%) reported serving food-insecure college students in some capacity. The responding food banks represent 75% of the Feeding America network.

In March 2017, the UTSA Roadrunner Pantry opened its doors on the UTSA Main Campus to provide students with the essentials they need to thrive personally and professionally. The Roadrunner Pantry later expanded its reach to the Downtown Campus in February 2020. Set up as a grocery store, any UTSA student with a valid UTSA ID can go shopping free of charge for non-perishable foods such as peanut butter, fresh produce, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, soup and toiletries.

The UTSA Roadrunner Pantry at the Main and Downtown campuses average 200 visits per day and 20,000 visits annually.

“Harvey’s incredible and ongoing support of our Roadrunners has helped position UTSA as a model for student success and, more importantly, demonstrates his genuine interest in the well-being of all young people in our community,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. “Harvey’s philanthropic work changes lives every day, and I’m incredibly grateful that he continues to choose to support our students. This gift is especially impactful as it will address such a critical need on our campuses and throughout the entire San Antonio community.”

“Food should never be an obstacle to a world-class education.”

Harvey Najim (center) toured the Whataburger Resource Room at the UTSA Main Campus on Wednesday. His gift will address food insecurity across UTSA’s campuses and the broader San Antonio community.

The Main Campus Roadrunner Pantry, located in the Student Union (SU 1.04.06), and the Downtown Campus Roadrunner Pantry, located in the Durango Building (DB 1.306), are open from noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

Both food pantries rely on community partnerships and donations to keep their shelves stocked for students in need. Supporters can make online donations or drop off donations during operating hours. Information regarding various ways to support both locations can be found on their website.

“This gift will meet a real challenge facing college students all over the country,” said Aydan Villarreal, UTSA Student Government Association president. “On behalf of our student body, I want to graciously thank Mr. Najim for this generous and impactful gift. It’s going to lift students out of hunger and tackle a problem that I hope we can work together to eliminate.

The Roadrunner Pantry offers non-perishable foods such as peanut butter, fresh produce, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, soup and toiletries to UTSA students free of charge.

Najim has made many impactful charitable gifts to UTSA over the years. In September 2020, he committed $3 million to establish the Harvey E. Najim Innovation and Career Advancement Center, which is driving the UTSA Classroom to Career initiative as part of the university’s vision to become a model for student success. He later committed $2 million to expand this experiential learning center to the UTSA Downtown Campus, support that has doubled its reach from 500 students to over 1,000 aspiring entrepreneurs and future leaders. In fall 2023, he extended his support to UTSA Athletics and purchased more than 7,100 tickets enabling fans at over 60 organizations in San Antonio and surrounding areas to enjoy the season home opener at the Alamodome. 

This latest generous contribution from Najim will support UTSA’s Be Bold campaign, a comprehensive capital campaign that aims to enhance student success, research excellence and innovation. To date, the campaign has raised over $435 million from more than 57,000 donors and is the largest fundraising campaign in university history.

— Jennilee Garza