Give to Blazers Against Hunger through Nov. 21 and help provide food security on campus

Give to Blazers Against Hunger in November and help the University of Alabama at Birmingham provide healthy food to patients, students and employees who may otherwise go hungry.

Blazers Against Hunger is an annual fundraiser to provide food security all year for members of the UAB community through Blazer Kitchen, UAB's on-campus food pantry. Blazer Kitchen provides nutritious food, resources and referrals to patients, employees and students in need all while making sure those who visit are treated with dignity, compassion and respect.

Blazers Against Hunger runs through Nov. 21. Give, share and become an advocate at go.uab.edu/blazersagainsthunger.

Created in 2017, Blazer Kitchen is supported by the Benevolent Fund with gifts from UAB faculty and staff. Members of the UAB community can shop at Blazer Kitchen just as they would at a grocery store but at no cost. More than 3,000 shoppers are welcomed each year with multiple convenient locations around campus, including Hill Student Center. More than 870,000 meals have been provided since it opened its doors.

The person Blazer Kitchen provides for could be a student skipping meals to make it to the next paycheck, a grandparent caring for children in their family, or a patient who has just been diagnosed with an illness and needs food that is safe for them to eat.

More than 75 percent of Blazer Kitchen's annual budget comes from money raised through Blazers Against Hunger. With financial contributions, Blazer Kitchen can purchase food for a cost share of 18 cents per pound through a partnership with the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. That savings means much more food can be purchased, and more meals provided.

As part of this drive, the Birmingham At-Large Chapter of the American Association of Men in Nursing has partnered with Blazer Kitchen to host "CANstruction." In this collaborative competition, teams will collect urgently needed products and goods and compete to create impressive structures out of the items. Members of the UAB community and the public can view the structures in person and online and donate to vote for the team they feel created the best design. There will be a "People's Choice" award for the team that brings in the most funds and a panel of judges who will visit each site and choose a winner based on creativity of the build. Teams will begin construction Nov. 6; judging will occur Nov. 8. All items and proceeds go to Blazers Against Hunger.

CANstruction locations are in the UAB Hospital West Pavilion Atrium, UAB Hospital North Pavilion's Second Floor Atrium, UAB Highlands Cafeteria, The Kirklin Clinic of UAB Hospital First Floor Lobby, John N. Whitaker Building First Floor Lobby and the UAB School of Nursing.

Visit uab.edu/benfund/programs/blazer-kitchen for more details about Blazer Kitchen including wish list donation guidelines. Contact Blazer Kitchen at [email protected] or call 205-996-2040. Blazer Kitchen is located at 1613 11th Ave. South.