Brookshire Brothers proudly donated $10,000 to four Texas A&M University student organizations to help support the work they do throughout the Bryan-College Station community.
The regional grocery company’s College Station store, which is located on the Texas A&M University campus, opened in April 2021. Since that time, Brookshire Brothers has immersed itself into the university community, as well as the Bryan and College Station communities.
“Each time Brookshire Brothers opens a new store in a new location, we assess the needs of that community to see where we can help. This summer, we donated a truckload of food to the Brazos Valley Food Bank, but we also wanted to do something for the university,” said Brookshire Brothers’ Public Relations & Corporate Responsibility Manager Melissa Crager. “These students have such a heart for service, just like Brookshire Brothers does. We know this donation will go a long way to provide for the needs of the residents in the Brazos Valley.”
Four student organizations each received $2,500 checks during a small ceremony on Friday, January 21, at Stage 12 at Brookshire Brothers, the store’s premier event venue. The organizations included Aggieland Growing Through Selfless Service, The Big Event, 12th Can and BUILD.
Aggieland Growing Through Selfless Service
Aggieland Growing Through Selfless Service (AGSS) members perform monthly service projects, primarily within the Bryan city limits, based on their individual passions. The organization encourages members to think outside the box when it comes to helping others.
“We value creativity, we value passion and what you want to do to change the world as individuals,” said AGSS President Kayla Leal. “We value friendship; we value love – loving others and each other. I think that’s one of things that has helped AGSS grow a lot recently.”
Leal said they will use the charitable donation to assist members as they pursue their individual projects and to create a more sustainable program for years to come.
The Big Event
The Big Event is an annual day of giving each spring that benefits nearly 2,800 local residents. The Big Event director Meg Camele said this organization helps bridge the gap between the university campus and the community.
“We take it upon ourselves one day of the year to say, ‘What do you need help with and how can we help you? We’re here to do anything and everything to make your life a little bit easier,’” Camele said.
The Big Event brings together 20,000 student volunteers to perform various projects throughout Bryan and College Station. They will use the $2,500 donation to purchase the tools they need to make those service projects happen.
12th Can
Caroline Clayton, membership director for 12th Can, said the student-run food pantry serves all students, faculty and staff at Texas A&M in the fight against food insecurity. They are open every other week for two days and serve anywhere from 100 to 800 clients each day.
“What the 12th Can does is that we try to meet a students’ basic needs, or a faculty or staff member’s basic needs, because it’s really hard to go about life without having fuel or knowing where your next meal is going to come from,” Clayton said. “That’s what we hope to achieve every time someone walks through our doors.”
The 12th Can will use the donation from Brookshire Brothers to expand what the pantry offers with a specific focus on providing fresh produce.
BUILD
BUILD is a full-scale, physically demanding service project in which students receive four or five shipping containers each fall semester and transform the empty shells into fully functional, modern medical facilities that are sent overseas. BUILD received their funds from Brookshire Brothers in late 2021 to purchase generators that will power the clinics.
“I was blown away when I joined (BUILD) two years ago that students can pull this off. These are real people who are impacting hundreds of thousands of lives; people they will probably never meet,” said Travis Andrews, BUILD’s co-team lead for external relations.