Souper Bowl of Caring benefits food pantries in Houston, across the U.S.

HOUSTON - An estimated 111 million people are expected to watch the big game this weekend, while 53 million Americans struggle with hunger.

The annual Souper Bowl of Caring event is encouraging fans to get off the bench and help their local food pantries.

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One food pantry is getting University of Houston students across the goal line.

"Some students, they haven’t had anywhere else to turn," says student success coach Laura Lee.

Less stress and comfort in a can – you can see the difference the Cougar Cupboard Food Pantry is making right on the door.

"We do have some students who may identify as LGBTQ. When they come out, their parents, unfortunately, kick them out of the house," Lee says.

Lee opened the pantry in 2017 after feeding students out of her own pocket.

"Financial aid doesn’t cover everything," Lee says. "I like for people to think about this as a resource. You can offset your cost by $100 to $200 a month."

It’s one of two pantries on the University of Houston campus where students can get free food every other week.

Gary, a senior, has used it since he was a freshmen to help him and his mom at home.

 "She loves it. Sometimes she’ll specifically even tell me about like, oh you need to go get certain things if were low on, like maybe were low on laundry detergent," Gary says.

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After scheduling an appointment, he can come in and shop, using a point system to budget for snacks and hygiene products.

"These are all worth five points. You just can’t go over 20 points per week," Gary says.

The Cougar Cupboard is part of a network of pantries that benefit from the Souper Bowl of Caring, when people turn their celebrations of the big game into giving back.

Tackle Hunger is using the annual drive to fund a chunk of 15 million meals the organization will provide across the country this year.

Word of mouth about this pantry has more students getting vocal about needing help.

"2021, we had 160 visits. 2022 we had 680," Lee says.

Because of this pantry, they say they are better able to focus on their studies.

They have a goal of graduating from shopping to supplying what the next round of future graduates may need someday.

To donate to the Cougar Cupboard or another local food charity, visit tacklehunger.org

Every $1 makes three meals. The campaign runs through Feb. 12.