UA Little Rock Staff Senate has helped 25 students and employees and their families with the annual Helping Hands Campaign.

The Staff Senate’s Helping Hands Campaign provides holiday meal baskets for UA Little Rock employees and students who would otherwise not be able to provide a traditional holiday dinner for their families and has assisted with meeting the needs of dozens of families for more than 20 years.

In 2021, UA Little Rock Staff Senate members raised more than $1,500 for the campaign through donations from the UA Little Rock community. They also collected food donations from 13 locations across campus from Oct. 18 to Dec. 10.

Staff Senate members spread a little holiday cheer when senators distributed a total of 32 bags of food to about 25 students and employees on Dec. 16. Those with five or more people in their household received two bags of food. Participants also received a Kroger gift card in the mail.

“The participants expressed appreciation, and the volunteers reported that they really enjoyed providing a helping hand,” said Serifatu Walton, chair of the Staff Senate Helping Hands Committee and a foster parent trainer with UA Little Rock MidSouth. “Upon pick-up, participants were also invited to supplement their bags with surplus food. Participants also received items from the University District’s Growing Healthy Communities 2021 Wellness Fair.”

The holiday food baskets include stuffing/dressing mix, cornbread mix, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chicken/vegetable broth, green peas, black eyed peas, corn, yams/sweet potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce. Staff Senate members donated leftover food donations from the Helping Hands Campaign to the Trojan Food Pantry.