Have you ever had an embarrassing thought, but no one knew about it? No sweat, right? Oh, but God knows, and He doesn’t ignore it. As it turns out, God used this particular moment of inner humiliation to convict me and bring me to my knees, and I need to share it with you.
Back in August, I was perusing the Samford CARES web pages, and a photo caught my attention. I had quickly glanced at one particular section and was just about to text my son to say, “Do you know there’s a small grocery store on campus?” Then something—or someone, rather—whispered for me to go back and look at that article again before sending the text. I started to feel a little foolish.
It turns out what I thought was a convenience store for students on campus was actually a food pantry—a food pantry for students in need.
This was not a convenience store for students who already have plenty. This is a necessary resource made available for students who don’t have enough to eat each day. A resource for students in need.
Students in need? At Samford?
The humiliation set in. The embarrassment welled up inside me for being so self-focused, so short-sighted, so selfish. How petty of me to be on the lookout for yet another perk for my own child, never considering there could be students in need on campus. Shameful.
Conviction set in.
And heartbreak.
The Holy Spirit came on strong. The realization that there are students at Samford who can’t afford to eat three meals a day hit me like a ton of bricks and broke my heart into a thousand pieces. It had never occurred to me that such a need existed right here on our campus.
So, I looked into it.
The Lord opened my eyes, softened my heart, and punched me in the gut all at the same time. He led me to reach out to the Samford CARES staff to learn more about what the food pantry program is all about and to discover how the number of students in need is growing exponentially.
According to Katelyn Hayes of Samford CARES, whom I met in person at Family Weekend, more than 30% of Samford students recently reported some level of food insecurity. In response, Samford’s food pantry opened two years ago as a closet of resources for students experiencing need. The food pantry has now grown to be a welcoming walk-in pantry.
Visits to the food pantry tripled this fall. Students come away from the food pantry with an estimated $75 worth of groceries and personal care items, and first-time visitors receive additional gift cards to local grocery stores. The pantry prioritizes meals that are nutritious and accessible to students with minimal kitchen tools, such as dorm-friendly pantry items, frozen meals and personal care items.
Sometimes families of upperclassmen decide to reduce their meal plans when they move out of freshman dorms, and the food pantry allows them to fill in the gaps. Samford CARES see an uptick in visits around midterms and holidays. It also provides support to student-athletes and international students who are on campus over the breaks when our cafeteria providers may not be available or on a limited meal schedule. These students often do not have cars or reliable transportation to reach grocery stores on their own.
“Commuter and graduate-level students are the growing population of our current food pantry visits,” Hayes said. “We are expecting those numbers to continue to grow and are continuously looking for people and connections to help further support this ministry.”
So the next time you see a microwavable mac and cheese bowl sitting on a shelf in a dorm room, consider how it got there. Sure, it could’ve been purchased on a Target run, or it could’ve been gently and carefully selected from the shelf by a student who humbly walked into the food pantry hungry and in need.
How can I help? I learned that the food pantry keeps an updated wish list of items on Amazon, so I placed an order. The orders conveniently get delivered directly to Samford CARES.
Monetary gifts are welcome as well. If your employer matches contributions, take full advantage of that opportunity—a bonus blessing indeed.
The Lord also showed me other ways to support our students in need. He laid on my heart the desire to pray continually for these students. I am also more mindful now at home of being a better steward of my own groceries, shopping lists and meal planning.
Additionally, I learned that Step Sing weekend presents a fun giving opportunity. This year, the Samford Parents Association is encouraging everyone to come together with the Campbell's and Crackers Donation Drive to support the food pantry. If you feel led to give in this way, shop from the Samford CARES Amazon list below. Items purchased here will be sent directly to Samford University. Please choose the following address when shipping to campus:
Parent Engagement/ Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35229
Drop-off for items you bring with you to Step Sing weekend will be received at 150 Westmoreland Hall, Jan. 30 – Saturday, Feb. 1. In order to keep the pantry organized and consistent, please purchase these exact items.
Campbell's and Crackers Amazon Wish List
The Lord is waiting for us to obey His calling to support our students in need.
I urge you to go to the Lord today and seek His will for how you can personally support the food pantry. The need is ongoing, and the need is growing.
Let us give joyfully out of the bounty of the Lord!
“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory…” —Ephesians 3:20–21
