Radford community comes together to give back

Radford University held its ninth annual Radford Gives Back on Oct. 2. Student, faculty and staff volunteers donated and collected food items to distribute Bobcat Backpacks, a nonprofit community organization that serves City of Radford children with weekend food insecurity.

For about 45 minutes, student volunteers circuited the MAC court on the first floor of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, collecting food items from stations positioned around the court and placing those items into a white plastic bag. Once their bags were filled with ravioli, peanut butter, mac and cheese, popcorn bags, oatmeal packets, snacks and cans of fruit, beans and veggies, volunteers placed the bags on the large R and U logo at center court.

"Radford is our school, and it's nice to see people come out here and work to give back to the community," said Skyler Van Boxel, a junior nursing major from Goochland, Virginia. "It means a lot for us to come together as a team and bond together while giving back to our community."

Volunteers began collecting donations the day before, receiving more than 10,000 food items. More than 300 volunteers participated in the collection and packing process.

Once bags were filled, volunteers gathered at center court for a group photo, a Radford Gives Back tradition. Then, it was back to work as many of the volunteers carried the food-filled bags to load onto a truck outside the center, where they would then be transported to the Bobcat Backpacks program.

Before the Wednesday evening event began, Radford University President Bret Danilowicz addressed the eager volunteers, saying, "Our support of Bobcat Backpacks builds a healthy and thriving community. Our work supports the development of Radford's youngest learners and helps ensure their success in school and their future well-being."

In nine years of the program, the president announced, Radford Gives Back has collected more than 87,000 total items for Bobcat Backpacks. At least 160 backpacks are distributed each week to children in Radford, "giving them nourishment and allowing them to have their needs fulfilled," Danilowicz said.

Radford University Dining Services made a significant contribution this year to Bobcat Backpacks by raising $3,591 to purchase food for the program during the Boost It Forward campaign in September.

"Many of our clubs and student groups make this a centerpiece of their community service," Danilowicz explained, "so I want to recognize the work of our university's fraternities and sororities, Highlander athletic teams and sport clubs, who create awareness and gather donations."

Numerous Radford alumni, some of whom were in town for Homecoming 2024, helped out as well.

"We're fortunate to have an effect like this and be able to give back to the community," said alumnus Scot Townshend '90, who helped hand out mac and cheese. "And it's always good to see the number of campus organizations that show up to help."

"This is what Radford does; these are my people," said biology and criminal justice double major Natalie May of Arlington, Virginia. "Getting involved in events like this, especially with the criminal justice community, has been life-changing for me because here at Radford, I feel like we all care so much about the community around us."

May volunteered at Radford Gives Back with fellow members of the Lambda Alpha Epsilon national criminal justice fraternity. Each spoke about their desire to help others and the pride they shared in seeing many volunteers at the event.

"It's great to see all the Radford students come together for this," said Jess Wright, a senior criminal justice major from Fauquier County, Virginia, who noted Lambda Alpha Epsilon had already contributed to relief efforts for those suffering the damaging effects of Hurricane Helene.

"It really means a lot to me to see people in Appalachia come together," said Abby Vaught, a senior criminal justice major from Christiansburg, Virginia.

For the students participating in Bobcat Backpacks, "I think they get a glimpse of what the community needs, and they start to understand more about all of the kids in elementary schools and the needs that they have," said Director of Student Involvement Jen Rentschler. "Nothing makes you feel better than knowing what you are doing is making a difference, especially in your own community."

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