Beat Bama Food Drive helps to fight food insecurity in east Alabama. Auburn University and the Food Bank of East Alabama work together on the drive and challenge the University of Alabama and the West Alabama Food Bank to see who can collect the most items to fight food insecurity.
“We are fighting a humanitarian issue which is prevalent on our campus and in our community,” said Justin King, president of BBFD.
This year commemorates BBFD’s 30th official food drive since its founding in 1994.
“We are hoping to make this year our greatest year yet,” King said.
This year, the BBFD begins Friday, Sept. 29, and ends Thursday, Nov. 16. Barrels will be put up in stores and around campus so anyone can donate nonperishable food items.
To kick off the drive, the BBFD committee is holding its signature dunk tank event on the concourse.
“On [Sept. 30], the Georgia game, we are going to be on the field and have can fans all over the stadium,” said Lilly Bradford, vice president of campus relations for BBFD.
Bradford said for the following week, BBFD is going to Montgomery, Alabama, to meet with Gov. Kay Ivey, and she is giving a proclamation of statewide Beat Bama Food Drive and Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Day.
Bradford explained the biggest event is Break the Bank week, which is Oct. 16 through Oct. 20.
“It is our biggest push week of the drive," Bradford said. “Monday, we are having a farmers market event that we are partnering with UPC for. Students can come in and get fresh produce from local farmers. Tuesday, we are doing a three [versus] three tournament. Wednesday is Hey Day. Thursday, we are doing a volunteer event with the food bank to explain why we are doing what we are doing."
The event on Friday is currently undecided; however, the committee hopes to have a concert benefit.
King has been a member of BBFD since his freshman year at Auburn in 2020 and has watched the committee develop over the years.
“The best way to describe food insecurity is not knowing where your next meal is going to come from,” King said. “Some people genuinely have to choose between eating or surviving.”
An incentive for BBFD is to try to raise more than the University of Alabama.
“It is a friendly competition because it's towards a great cause,” King said.
Another incentive is to help those in the Auburn community.
“Over the last several years, we have really seen much more of a focus on the needs in the community and who is experiencing food insecurity and the fact that we have the ability and actually the responsibility to make a difference, to help our neighbors,” said Martha Henk, who has worked at the Food Bank of East Alabama since 1995.
Those who are a part of BBFD and volunteer with the food bank get to directly serve those suffering from food insecurity and see the difference that they make.
“My time at the food bank has really confirmed for me the wide variety of people that experience food insecurity,” Henk said.
Henk explained that there are a variety of ways a person can help fight food insecurity. Financial support or donating cans of food are helpful, but a major way to help is the gift of time.
Volunteers make an enormous impact on the food bank’s ability to do what it does.
"By the end of this year, we have projected that we will have distributed 5.5 million pounds of food. That is a lot of hands-on work in sorting and boxing and cleaning and organizing the food. So people can really make a difference,” Henk said.
Bradford is currently a junior, but she joined BBFD as a freshman.
“The fun thing about BBFD is that you can explore something entirely outside of what you are planning to do for the rest of your life,” Bradford said. “It has definitely shown me that I want to do something when I get out of college relating to service and helping people.”
BBFD is calling all those in the Auburn community to step up and not only beat Bama, but beat food insecurity.
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