The UAB Benevolent Fund has monetarily supported the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama for 30 years, donating about $71,000 during the past five years alone. Lisa Higginbotham, program manager of the Benevolent Fund, said she hopes employees will donate their time to help area children who may not know where their food is coming from on the weekends.
“UAB employees have already contributed money to purchase the food through our general contributions,” Higginbotham said. “This is a great opportunity to see our Benevolent Fund dollars at work and provide much needed volunteer work for one of our supported agencies.”
Volunteers are needed to help fill backpacks for the Weekenders Backpack Program, which provides a standardized menu across the program including more than three pounds of food each week. The food bags are taken to participating schools and discretely placed in the backpacks of children who have been identified by teachers, school counselors and other staff as showing signs of hunger.
Jon Barnacastle, programs assistant at the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, said the program typically targets schools serving high-need populations, but food insecurity can be a problem anywhere.
| “Helping feed children responds to the needs in our community, helps improve a child’s educational and health outcomes and builds a stronger community.” |
“Several participating schools are located in areas and neighborhoods traditionally held to be more affluent and devoid of want,” Barnacastle said. “Poverty is not the sole indicator for educators to look out for when referring students to the Weekenders Program, but also physical appearance, behavior, performance, hygiene, etc.”
This fall, the Weekenders Program served more than 1,100 students at 33 schools across five counties, Barnacastle said.
“Chronically hungry children have trouble concentrating at school,” Higginbotham said. “Those who eat balanced meals at school during the week can have little to no access to food during the weekend. Teachers and schools have reported improvements in test scores, positive behavioral gains, decrease in number of unexcused absences and an increased recognition of potential career paths in children receiving these backpacks.”
The partnership between the Benevolent Fund and the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama is part of UAB’s mission to provide service to the community and education to students.
“Helping feed children responds to the needs in our community, helps improve a child’s educational and health outcomes and builds a stronger community,” Higginbotham said.
Volunteers are needed to help fill backpacks from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 22 in the Community Food Bank’s warehouse, 107 Walter Davis Drive. RSVP to Cassandra Brown at 996-2040 or cbdst3@uab.edu.
Help the Graduate School and Staff Council provide much-needed items to the Ronald McDonald House and Birmingham-area schools.
