My platform, "Step Up to the Plate," seeks to evoke a sense of urgency among people, providing them with opportunities to act now and fill the plate of their hungry neighbor. In Alabama alone, over 19% of households face some kind of food insecurity â 900,000 people unsure about their next meal. Through my partnership with the West Alabama Food Bank and Feeding America, âStep Up to the Plateâ fights hunger by conducting canned food drives, speaking to local community groups and schools, raising money, participating in and encouraging volunteerism at local soup bowls and food banks, and establishing food recovery programs at local businesses. One key facet of my platform is an initiative called âFifth Quarterâ that recovers and donates all leftover food from the skyboxes and zone areas from home football games, basketball games, and gymnastics meets at the University of Alabama. In the past five years, Fifth Quarter has saved, repackaged, and distributed over 64,100 pounds of food, equating to over 79,000 meals. My dream is for Fifth Quarter to be at universities across the entire country, and with the help of @alphagamihq we have begun training other philanthropy chairs with step-by-step instructions to do just that at the University of Georgia, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Oklahoma to establish food recovery programs after their major sporting events. I am also in the process of launching an on-campus food pantry at my university, as many students struggle to pay tuition and do not have enough money left over for food. I can't wait to see how much food is no longer wasted, but given in love to those in need! #stepuptotheplate #missalabama #missamerica #fighthunger #endhunger #feedingamerica â
