Blazer Kitchen, UAB’s food pantry, has seen demand grow essentially nonstop since it opened its doors in 2017. In addition to food, Blazer Kitchen offers hygiene and cleaning products, as well as campus-grown produce and even halal chicken. Blazer Kitchen also is now open to UAB patients, as well as students and employees.

Keeping the Kitchen running requires a steady flow of willing hands. The greatest times of need for faculty and staff volunteers “are when students are not on campus to volunteer or classes are gearing up,” said UAB Benevolent Fund Manager Lisa Higginbotham. We are entering the longest such period now, in the summer break from May through August. (Other times of high need for employee volunteers are spring and fall break, and the first two weeks of a semester.)

The central Blazer Kitchen location is the 1613 Building (see exact location and get directions on the Campus Map here), which has its own parking lot that volunteers may use. There also is a student-focused location at the Hill Center.

How will I know what to do?

“Pantry volunteers have supervision and someone to provide guidance at all times,” Higginbotham said. “This can be a one-time volunteer opportunity, or it can be recurrent if the individual volunteer wants to continue.” (See a full volunteer manual for main Blazer Kitchen location in the 1613 Building here.)

Ways to serve

1. Unload, stock, clean: Tuesdays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., 1613 Building 

“You can skip the gym if you volunteer Tuesday morning,” Higginbotham said. “We unload and stock about 3,500 pounds of food each week.” This time slot “is a particularly good opportunity for small groups — approximately eight people — to work together and engage in teambuilding,” Higginbotham said. “Individual volunteers fill these shifts most often, but it is a great team-bonding experience.”

2. Assist employee and student shoppers: Wednesday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.,  Thursday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

During these times, “we utilize volunteers first with assisting shoppers, and when we are between shoppers, volunteers restock and clean the pantry,” Higginbotham said. “If you prefer interacting with a variety of people, Wednesday and Thursday will provide those interactions.”

Volunteers gather food for shoppers from the pantry’s shelves, coolers and freezers, weigh items and document the weights, add new shoppers to the pantry’s computer system, and assist shoppers in scanning their ONE Tap cards to record shopping dates.

3. Join a team at Blazer Kitchen Garden 

“Several times a year, we have workdays in the garden to prepare beds for planting and plant seedlings or seeds,” Higginbotham said. “We also engage in general garden maintenance, including weeding and mulching. These days are usually a Saturday morning or late afternoon, depending on when volunteers are available.”

4. Become a long-term Blazer Kitchen Garden volunteer 

“Individuals who are willing to be long-term volunteers can be instructed in general maintenance and harvesting in the garden,” Higginbotham said. “Produce can then be taken to Blazer Kitchen and packaged for distribution to shoppers. Volunteers can work the entire garden or volunteer to adopt a particular garden bed or two.”

5. Volunteer at the Hill Student Center, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (summer hours) 

Blazer Kitchen in the Hill Student Center, located in Suite 303, is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the summer months. “Due to its size and that it serves students exclusively, volunteers at this location typically have some down time, which can be good study time for students,” Higginbotham said.

Where do I sign up?

Volunteer through BlazerPulse for a specific shift at the main 1613 Building location or the Hill Student Center location (first, log in to BlazerPulse with your Blazer ID).