Spotlight

Reaching Out

By Brandi Hollis | USF News

Across USF, students are making a difference in Greater Tampa Bay. Through a variety of university organzations, programs and independent efforts, they are getting involved.

On a recent Friday at dusk, a group of 50 or so USF students gathered at a stark parking lot in Tampa’s downtown. They weren’t there for a party. They were there to feed the homeless.

For the past seven years, the students have begun each Friday evening with a ritual huddle. This time, Hajjah Kamara, president of Project Downtown and a USF senior majoring in international studies, directed the group.

Kamara has been with Project Downtown since she was in high school. Her Fridays begin at 2 p.m. when she joins a small group of volunteers to make the turkey and cheese sandwiches to feed Tampa’s homeless that evening.

The support is much needed. According to a report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness released in 2012, Tampa has the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the nation.

“It’s not really about the sandwich we pass out,” Kamara says. “That sandwich is a gateway to engage in conversation and to talk to somebody.”

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