Student Affairs Scores with Belk Bowl Service Project

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Razorbacks give back in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A triple combination of Razorback spirit, the desire to help others and the dedication of the university's Division of Student Affairs is being credited with a successful service project at the recent Belk Bowl. Over the last several years the University of Arkansas has taken part in a service project related to the team's participation in a bowl game. Approximately 100 Razorback fans that traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Dec. 29, answered the call for volunteers to help make sandwiches for a local food pantry and homeless shelter before the football game.

"We had something for everyone that morning, from the youngest preschoolers to our oldest volunteers — everyone was engaged having a great time sharing our Razorback spirit and pride," said Angela Oxford, director of the Center for Community Engagement for the University. "The Razorbacks Give Back event was just one more example of how the University of Arkansas' commitment to service is an integral part of our campus' culture here and wherever we are representing Arkansas and serving our state," she said.

The event began with breakfast and distribution of T-shirts to the volunteers. Stations for each type of sandwich were set up in a hotel meeting room as the plastic gloved volunteers took their places. As each sandwich was bagged, a note of encouragement, handwritten by volunteers, was included.

"This was a fun way to kick off the Belk Bowl," said volunteer Kellie Knight, director for University Initiatives. "We came together and quickly formed teams and assembly lines to accomplish our goals and left a taste of the Razorback spirit of generosity for the Charlotte community."

The food was then boxed up and sent to the Urban Ministry Center, an interfaith organization dedicated to bringing the community together to end homelessness.  According to its web site, approximately 20-percent of North Carolina's homeless population lives in the Charlotte area. The center serves approximately 500 people each day in its soup kitchen and through its Operation Sandwich, distributes over 300,000 sandwiches annually. Center administrators say local individuals and groups usually supply the volunteer efforts, so the Razorbacks Give Back project highlighted the extraordinary.

Director of Volunteer Services Christine DeLia, said, "We occasionally will have a mission group in town who serve, but it's completely unique to have visitors in Charlotte for another activity to give back like that. We were so grateful for the University of Arkansas alumni's willingness to share their resources and time."

The University's Division of Student Affairs provided the funding and organizing for Razorbacks Give Back. "Our team recruited Razorback fans across Charlotte as we prepared the project from hotel staff to our non-profit partner to local establishments where we shopped — everyone was excited to have Razorback Fans in town and especially after hearing about our service project," said Oxford.  It meant so much to everyone that we were serving Charlotte while visiting their city."

One of those visitors turned volunteers, was U of A Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. "The service project was great!" he said. "We had a great turnout of alumni, staff and fans — and even my three-year-old grandson got into the spirit of service along with my three other grandkids, their parents, and my wife, Sandy." He continued, "It was really special seeing the number of Razorback fans who came out to help. It exceeded the expected number of participants. Angela Oxford, the director of the Center for Community Engagement in Student Affairs, did a great job organizing and promoting the effort."

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Charles Robinson echoed the sentiment of the chancellor. "I'm proud of the service project and that Student Affairs staff organized it," he said. "It was very well done and volunteers left there excited by the opportunity to help."