HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Alabama A&M University partnered with Urban League to help distribute food to families who need assistance in the Huntsville area on Saturday, February 27.
The distribution ran from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. in a drive-thru fashion at the visiting parking lot of Louis Crews Stadium on the Alabama A&M campus. The only entry to the campus was via Industrial Drive.
“Saturday’s food distribution provides AAMU with the opportunity to live our motto, Service is Sovereignty. It also provides our student volunteers with an opportunity to serve the community in which they live,” said Alabama A&M University Director of Service Learning Monica Clarke.
The university said the partnership with Urban League is a part of the organization's expansion into Huntsville. AAMU also said this is just the first food distribution of many to come.
“The Urban League is pleased to offer services that are meaningful and impactful within the Huntsville Metro Area. By engaging community partners like Alabama A&M University and the Huntsville Housing Authority, we feel confident in our collective ability to serve communities in need,” said Urban League Board of Director and AAMU Vice President for Marketing, Communication & Advancement Archie Tucker, II.
In addition to the drive-thru distribution, the university said several Huntsville Housing Authority communities hosted distribution points for residents who live on-site only, including Butler Terrace and BTA; L.R. Patton; Brookside; Northwoods and NWA; Lincoln Park; and Searcy Homes.
In total, 2,100 food boxes were distributed in those various locations; 800 of those boxes were given out at AAMU.
"We need food. Everybody needs food and this is something that we can do. We can provide the very basic necessities for people to live, with everything that's happening, people losing jobs, we can make sure we can at least get food on the table," said Clarke.
The boxes contained food items such as fresh produce, various dairy items and packaged meats. They were available to anyone in the several communities that they were given out to.
“This food distribution is happening because someone thought kindly and saw a need, then reached out to people who knew someone who could fill that need. I am humbled and excited as we partner with the Urban League and Alabama A&M University to provide a food distribution system that will last for several weeks,” said Huntsville Housing Authority Executive Director and CEO Antonio McGinnis.
For more information regarding future drive-thru distributions, the university asks that you contact Monica Clarke at monica.clarke@aamu.edu or 256-372-4710.
For more information regarding Huntsville Housing Authority distributions, the university asks that you contact Patrice Boddie at pboddie@hsvha.org or 256-532-5630.