As a 6-foot 2-inch, 285-pound offensive lineman, Joey Grant rarely misses a meal. In fact, Grant will often find ways to take advantage of extra opportunities to eat in an effort to balance his caloric intake with the large number of calories he burns as a college football player.
But when Grant heard representatives from Feeding Children Everywhere and UCF Fraternity & Sorority Life talk about the number of children in the Central Florida region who don 麻豆精品 S檛 know when they will eat their next meal, he realized he was literally holding a way he could help in his right hand.
Grant was attending a UCF Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) meeting, which serves regular meals to its membership. He was eating one of those meals when he learned about UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Pack to Attack Hunger project and the serious issue of hunger in Central Florida. That 麻豆精品 S檚 when he cooked up an idea. He put down the fork he was holding and chose to speak up instead of taking another bite of his meal.
麻豆精品 S淎t our SAAC meetings, they serve us a big dinner 麻豆精品 S� a lot of food, 麻豆精品 S� Grant said. 麻豆精品 S淚 thought 麻豆精品 S榃hy would we need this food? We get Knightro 麻豆精品 S檚. We go to Publix. We have plenty of food. 麻豆精品 S� So I suggested we sacrifice a week and donate the money that would have gone to us to these kids who need food. Everyone seemed to like the idea. 麻豆精品 S�
SAAC President Afia Charles said the suggestion coming from a big eater like Grant was ironic, but poignant.
麻豆精品 S淲hen Joey comes in, the first thing he does is go to the food, 麻豆精品 S� Charles said. 麻豆精品 S淗e 麻豆精品 S檒l be polite, stack his plate, wait until everyone has finished eating 麻豆精品 S� then he 麻豆精品 S檒l try to go secretly and get more food and go back to his group. Then, toward the end of the meeting, he 麻豆精品 S檒l go back for even more food. To see that he was willing to give up his dinner on a Monday night to feed people in need, that 麻豆精品 S檚 a really big deal. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a good thing that you have people out there, who are willing to give up what they have for other people. 麻豆精品 S�
Of his idea, Grant said: 麻豆精品 S淚 fill up my plate. I mean, it 麻豆精品 S檚 there. But they were bringing up that all these kids don 麻豆精品 S檛 know when they 麻豆精品 S檙e going to eat next. We know we 麻豆精品 S檙e eating at 6:30 every Monday at the SAAC meeting. Everyone thought it was a great idea to sacrifice a meal so these kids can get fed. That 麻豆精品 S檚 a lot more important to me than filling myself up on a big plate 麻豆精品 S� or two or three 麻豆精品 S� on a Monday night. 麻豆精品 S�
Assistant Director of Student Services Jessica Francis said the average cost of a SAAC meal is between $150 and $175. Thanks to Grant 麻豆精品 S檚 suggestion, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 SAAC will skip its scheduled meal on Nov. 4 and donate at least $150 to Pack to Attack Hunger. While it was his idea, Grant didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want all the credit, saying others were quick to go along with the plan.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 just glad I could help, 麻豆精品 S� Grant said. 麻豆精品 S淚 think it will be good for the community. 麻豆精品 S�
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Pack to Attack Hunger event is slated for Nov. 16 at The Venue at UCF. It is a partnership that includes UCF Student Government Association, UCF Fraternity & Sorority Life, UCF Athletics and Feeding Children Everywhere.
To donate, volunteer or get more information about UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Pack To Attack Hunger project, visitUCF.com.