Credit Union Helps Feed Hungry Children

From Lakeside Dining to Bryant Hall, and all the vending machines in between, food is readily available all over the University of Alabama campus. Freshman and anyone else with an unlimited meal plan have access to all the food they can eat at almost any time of day. For many children in Alabama, this is not the case. Secret Meals For Hungry Children provides weekend meals for around 2,000 children across Alabama. Many of these children are on free or reduced-price lunches, and they only get food when their school provides it. The West Alabama Food Bank started the program under the name "Backpack Buddies" and fed 18 students in Tuscaloosa. The Alabama Credit Union took over the program and renamed it to avoid confusion with school supply drives. On Friday afternoons while students are at recess, volunteers deliver 3 1/2 pound food packs to schools, and teachers put them in the backpacks of children in the program. The packages contain two breakfasts, two lunches and two snacks for the weekend. Michelle McClinton, a marketing assistant at Alabama Credit Union, said teachers and counselors see the impact of the organization. "They say children feel rewarded when they get their food," McClinton said.