Helping the community one bag at a time
For the second semester in a row, the Colorado Mesa University Department of Business spent an afternoon at Kids Aid in Grand Junction participating in the nonprofit’s Backpack Program.
Kids Aid and Mesa County Valley School District 51 work together to provide local students with a food bag every Friday to ensure their needs are met and they don’t go hungry over the weekend.
“Childhood hunger is pervasive in our community,” said Kids Aid Program Assistant Kristen Stanfield. “In school district 51, 50% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch, and often times these kids need food over the weekend. We’re doing what we can to reach them.”
The Department of Business looks to a make a difference in the community every year through service projects. For the spring 2020 semester, a mix of 20 students and faculty helped at the Kids Aid warehouse.
“It’s such a great opportunity for students and faculty to connect in a unique way,” said Professional Staff Assistant for the Department of Business Annie Shoberg. “We packed 770 bags of food (77 bins), which we heard was a new record. We’ve gotten such a great response to this event, and we’ve seen it be so impactful, that we’ve committed to continuing this event each semester."
Numerous faculty members said that they’re proud of the role the department plays in helping the local community.
Assistant Professor of Business Mojtaba Khanzadehdaghalian, PhD, said he’d be more than happy to help out again, and quoted the famous Albert Schweitzer saying, 'The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.'
“It felt really nice to see numerous pallets full with stacked bins filled with food,” said business student Cameron Walters.
Shoberg, who organizes the event each semester, is moved by the response they received when they put out the call for volunteers. Three students outside the business department heard what they were doing and jumped at the chance to join.
“It’s great to know that there are so many people working together in the Grand Valley to ensure that kids are only hungry to learn,” said Shoberg.