The Athletes’ Voice: Showing Up for Each Other

I didn’t realize how many students around me were struggling with food until I saw what happened when meals they depended on were taken away.

As a track and field athlete at Louisiana, I know how important it is to have the food we need to train, recover, and get through our days. When our meals were reduced, I started hearing from teammates and seeing people close to me struggle to fill that gap. It opened my eyes to what food insecurity can look like on a college campus. Sometimes, it’s someone you see every day, and you have no idea what they’re trying to figure out.

Seeing the Need

The more conversations I had, the more I realized that students also didn’t always know where to find help. I would tell people about our Campus Cupboard, where they could get food, or our Career Closet, where they could find clothes for professional opportunities. I’ve used the Career Closet myself. But resources can only help people who know they exist.

That stayed with me. We had students who needed support, and we had resources they weren’t hearing about. I wanted to help make that connection.

An Idea Becomes a Purpose

The idea for Cajuns Give Back Week started coming to me in November. I was reading a book that challenged the way I thought about homelessness. Then I went to church, and the pastor spoke about the same scripture I had just read. That moment made me pay attention. My faith was encouraging me to think more deeply about how I could serve other people.

At first, I didn’t know exactly what the week would look like. But as I saw teammates struggling and talked with students who didn’t know what support was available, it started coming together. I began bringing in founding members, building an executive board, and doing research. Originally, I thought we could hold it in the spring. Then I realized we needed more time to find sponsors and build support. Taking a step back gave us room to make the idea stronger.

Building Awareness Together

We’re planning Cajuns Give Back Week for September 21–25, with conversations about affordable eating and budgeting, opportunities to connect with community resources, and a fundraising gala that brings businesses and alumni together. There have been plenty of steps to work through, from social media approvals to figuring out how sponsorships can be collected. I’m still learning as I go, but it’s coming together.

I don’t expect one week to solve food insecurity. I want students to know they are supported and to understand what resources are available. I also want people who can help to see ways they can volunteer, contribute, and get involved. We’ve even talked about what a campus garden could look like someday. Something like that could take years, and I might be gone before it happens. I still think it’s worth starting the conversation.

My hope is that Cajuns Give Back Week helps us pay closer attention to each other. If someone is struggling, I want them to know where they can turn, and that there are people here who care.