December’s word-of-the-month is caring, a pertinent idea during the holiday season. It’s important that we all look out for and care for each other, while also giving thanks for those who care for us. This month, we’ll be spotlighting alumni, faculty, and students who show exemplary care for others.

Thanks to a grant from Live HealthSmart Alabama, Hattie O’Hara ’17 started the Mobile Market at BSC this past term. As a student, O’Hara served as a Hess Fellow, and created her own major in human rights, made up of political science, sociology, and urban environmental studies courses. She is now the assistant director of service learning and community partnerships through the Krulak Institute.

“I’m grateful to have been awarded a grant that has brought to life a partnership about a year in the making: groceries for students – no cost, with no limit, for any BSC student. No catch,” says O’Hara. “The Live HealthSmart Alabama Mobile Market is a resource that brings fresh produce, dairy, proteins, and pantry staples directly to the community. Through this generous grant, I have been able to buy out the market for Birmingham-Southern students for regular stops throughout the school year.

“Food access needs on a residential college campus can look different for each student. This partnership was designed with a range of needs in mind. There is no proving one’s need or self-identifying as food-insecure. Through this model, we are addressing hunger on our campus without assigning unwanted stigma to our resource.

“Ethical, sustainable, and empathetic food access is a life-long passion of mine. It has never been in my job title, but I keep finding ways to incorporate it in my work. I’m grateful for another opportunity to bring exceptional foods in abundance to anyone who wants or needs it.”