By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— For the last three years, the Pelham High School baseball players have volunteered with Urban Purpose, an organization that builds relationships with the poor and needy in Birmingham.

Two Sundays each fall the team provides Urban Purpose’s Sunday meals for people in the city. The Panthers cooked, packaged, delivered and served food to about 80-100 people off 3rd Avenue North.

“It’s something that my assistant coach and I, when we took over, wanted to do for our kids to serve the community,” head baseball coach Sean Anderson said. “It’s something they probably didn’t have a chance to do, and it’s always good to serve people.”

Anderson said the players prepare everything themselves. He asks them to bake cookies or brownies before Sunday, and they also bring water bottles. Then the students meet at PHS at 12:30 p.m. to prepare the food.

They cook the food, package it and store it in coolers to take to Birmingham, and then they hand it out in a parking lot. Anderson said the guys might goof around while they prepare the food, but once they start serving, they are very humble.

He said the players walk around talking with all the people, some pray with them and others just listen to their stories.

“It gives those people someone to talk to other than someone they see every day,” Anderson said. “It kind of opens (the player’s) eyes to what’s going on in the world as well.”

Usually, Anderson said about half the baseball players join them for the day, but recently most of them, about 20-25 kids, have been participating.

“Some of the kids that are quieter are the ones that seem to open up a little more, especially with Urban Purpose,” he said. ”We have such great kids down here in the Pelham Baseball program.”

The team also participates in other community service projects. During the Christmas season, they participate in a toy and clothing drive for Oak Mountain Missions. Anderson said they usually have about two truckloads of items.

This year, the players will be teaming up with the American Legion Matthew Blount Post 555 for Wreaths Across America at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo.

They also stick close to home, helping to umpire the youth baseball games for Pelham Parks and Recreation.

Anderson said it’s all about supporting the community that supports the Pelham baseball team.