Photo Courtesy of UAB Image Gallery
Helpful on-campus organizations
Allison Brown
Senior Staff Reporter
[email protected]
UAB has hundreds of organizations to help students, here are a few you need to know about.
Blazer Kitchen
The Blazer Kitchen’s mission is to, “increase food security in the UAB community by providing healthy food, resources, and referrals to UAB employees, students, patients and their families,” according to their website.
Synclaire Casselberry, Blazer Kitchen Administrator, said ten to fifteen students utilize Blazer Kitchen’s resources daily.
“UAB’s Blazer Kitchen has given out 6,618 pounds of food, 710 pounds of personal hygiene or school supplies,” Casselberry said. “Everything in the Blazer kitchen is free. Students will need to register on their first visit, but after that, they only need to show their OneCard.”
The Blazer Kitchen is located in Suite 303 in the Hill Student Center and is open Monday through Friday.
Blazer Express Safety Escort
To make students feel more at ease on a campus in the middle of a large city, UAB police have implemented the Safety Escort system.
“The Blazer Express Safety Escort is an on-demand van service for UAB students, employees, and authorized visitors,” according to the UAB Police and Public Safety website.
This service runs on campus and in nearby communities from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. every day. The safety escort is free, and all you need is your OneCard.
According to the UAB Police and Public Safety website, “a UAB escort will meet you at any on-campus location (including parking facilities) and accompany you to your on-campus destination either on foot or in a marked vehicle.”
To request an escort, call (205) 934-8772, or use one of the 490 green HELP Phones dispersed around campus.
Other helpful phone numbers:
UAB Emergency: (205) 934-4434
UAB Police (non-emergency): (205) 934-3535
Motorist Assistance Road Service, MARS: (205) 975-6277
UAB Career Center
According to the Career Center’s website, their mission is to, “engage and empower members of the UAB community through meaningful career and experimental learning opportunities to revolutionize the future of work.” The center provides resume assistance, mock interviews, financial coaching and career options for your specific major and skills.
Dino Martinez, assistant director of the Career Center, said they handle anything that deals with career exploration.
“We help students with their resume,” Martinez said. “[We] help with interview prep, we host the on-campus job fair and part-time job fair.”
Students have access to a free career consultant specific to their major, as well as Handshake, which replaced HireABlazer starting this fall. Handshake is an online platform that allows students to search and apply for both internships and full-time jobs, as well as sign up for interviews.
Martinez said over 5,000 employers have created accounts through Handshake.
“Students who have activated and completed their profile in Handshake are five times more likely to be contacted by an employer than those who have not.” Martinez said.
Check out uab.edu/students/careercenter/ for details on how to utilize the Career Center’s resources.
Counseling
UAB offers several different free counseling options. These include individual counseling, couple counseling and online and distance support. Other resources provide an eating disorder treatment team, gender transition services and counselors for students who live in the residence halls.
According to the Student Counseling Services website, walk-ins are accepted every weekday for a first visit, and future visits can be scheduled over the phone.
Angela M. Stowe, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, Director of Student Counseling Services and Promotion said they also have online support through Therapy Assistance Online, which is free for all students. TAO aims to help students gain the skills to manage stress and improve wellbeing.
“We know that mental health is a concern of college students nation-wide,” Stowe said, “and if we want to provide students the best opportunities for success, we also want to make sure they have resources available to help them be healthy and well.”
To see what counseling option might be best for you, visit uab.edu/counseling or call (205)934-5816 to make an appointment.
