This Valentine’s day, amidst a universal focus on love, a group of Cave Hill students showed compassion for people living with HIV and AIDS and their families, through a donation to the HIV/AIDS Food Bank.

The donation was made by Semester I students in the Social Planning course offered by the Department of Government, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology. The goods were handed over to Stacia Whittaker, community nutrition officer at the food bank, on Valentine’s Day.

Lecturer Dr. Alana Griffith said the course enabled students to focus on a particular social issue with a view to learning how to devise effective interventions. HIV was the issue chosen last semester, as 2018 marked the 30^th anniversary of World Aids Day.

“Rather than just having them think about people living with HIV and AIDS as an abstract group, we thought it was necessary to do something to actually help the community . . . and share a little love,” she explained.

Head of the Department, Dr. Wendy Grenade, added that the contribution was part of its thrust to align its teaching and learning to outreach and public service to greater impact society.

Whittaker thanked the staff and students for the donation, and hoped the students’ focus on HIV would help them to understand the challenges faced by those who lived with it as well as those affected by it.

PHOTO: (from left) Antonia Durham, Shonna Thompson, Rosamund Joe and Mariam McCurchin packaging the donations.