Hunger-fighting cereal at UAB

Posted on Sep 20, 2011 in News

For one month UAB Campus Dining is collaborating with Kellogg’s brand cereal to donate food to the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama.

For each bowl of cereal purchased by students, Kellogg’s donates another bowl of cereal to the food bank.

An estimated 6,400 servings will be donated during this event, according to Foodmix Marketing Communications.

Students came out at 8 a.m. Monday morning on September 12 to participate.

“We had several students who took part in the kickoff event, either by eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast, taking their picture with Tony the Tiger or watching the live TV broadcast (on Good Day Alabama),” said Leigh Priecko, Marketing Manager of UAB Campus Restaurants.

“This is a great way to use your meal plan, stay healthy and give back to the community,” Priecko encouraged.

“We are glad that Kellogg’s asked us to participate in this event and we hope students are as excited as we are and come out to help us feed those in need throughout the Birmingham community.”

The Food Bank distributes nine million pounds of food to families in need, spanning over twelve Alabama counties.

“This effort helps those in need and provides students with an opportunity to help support this important cause,” said Jennifer Ferm.

“Kellogg’s has supported food banks across the U.S. for nearly 30 years. On average, the company donates $20 million of products annually,” aid Tim Knowlton, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for Kellogg Company.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the number of “undernourished” people in 2010 was 925 million; an estimated 13.6 percent of the population, or one in seven people. Nineteen million of these are in developed countries, such as the United States.

From 2009 to 2010, the poverty rate in Alabama rose from 14.4 percent to 16.9 percent according to the Census Bureau.

Another organization focused on bringing nutrition to Birmingham is West End Community Gardens, a part of Community Church without Walls.
This program provides sixteen 4’x8’ plots in a common area with free access for public use.

“West End has high rates of diet-related illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes and limited access to fresh, healthy, affordable produce,” said R.G. Lyons.

One of the major benefits of the program is education. “We do cooking demonstrations and classes for children, and have developed a youth intern program,” added Lyons.

“The overall goal of our work is to grow healthy food, beautify the community, encourage better eating habits, inspire other gardens and initiatives to make healthy food more accessible and to empower youth and young adults.”

Amber Ritchie
Staff Writer
ambermr@uab.edu

Tags: 20110920, Top Story