By Jaelon Jackson
School of Social Work
What began as a rainy morning turned into a bright afternoon of community connection as the University of Texas at Arlington’s School of Social Work hosted its annual Trunk-or-Treat and Food Giveaway.
The event blended family fun with social impact, offering candy, games and decorated car trunks alongside free food boxes provided through the school’s partnership with the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
“Our goal is to create a welcoming and supportive environment where all individuals and families can come together to enjoy a day of fun, obtain essential food resources, and connect,” said Jobanet Flores, UTA School of Social Work marketing manager. “We hope that everyone joining us can find meaning in connecting, giving back, and building a stronger community for all.”
Flores said the partnership with the Tarrant Area Food Bank began during the COVID-19 pandemic as a response to food insecurity. “That is when the Food Giveaway portion started and then evolved into our now Trunk-or-Treat and Food Giveaway,” she said. “We chose to continue it even after the pandemic because, as a community of social workers, we recognized its lasting impact and the ongoing need for support among families in our community.”
Among the many volunteers was Cassidy Brady-Hartfield, a UTA alum and community partner who has helped with the event for several years. “We’ve done this for three or four years now,” he said. “There’s a bigger need this year, it looks like, for people to get the food.”
Brady-Hartfield said his favorite part of the day was “bridging the gap in the community and really making a difference with the people that need it the most.”
He added that the event reflects the school’s mission to embody the values of social work in practice. “Social workers always bridge the gap,” he said. “Something that’s really important is for the School of Social Work here to walk the walk and talk the talk together, and I feel like that’s really what the School of Social Work does.”
This year's Trunk-or-Treat and Food Giveaway event shattered records with both attendance and food given. 1,091 individuals received food and over 400 attended the Trunk-or-Treat event.
"With such a large turnout, we could visibly see just how large of an impact we made within our community, in the amount of food given out and the number of attendees we had for our Trunk-or-Treat," said Jamilet Martinez, UTA School of Social Work special events coordinator. "It was touching knowing how many adults we were able to provide a temporary relief for whilst hosting a family-friendly event for the children."
By noon, the rain had cleared, and the sun returned, setting the stage for a successful day of community service and celebration.