Published on April 16, 2020 by Sarah Waller  
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During this COVID-19 pandemic, B.J. Jones, a 2005 alumnus of Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy, is meeting the needs of his patients and his community by dispensing more than just medicine.

Jones is the pharmacist and owner of Kilpatrick Pharmacy in Crossville, Alabama and Clark’s Pharmacy in Boaz, Alabama. When he heard of the food insecurity the pandemic was causing for many families in his community, he didn’t hesitate to step in and help. At the Kilpatrick location, Jones and his team partnered with DeKalb County superintendent James Barnett to distribute meals. 

“Our area is one with a high poverty level. There is also a large Hispanic population here and many of the children normally get two of their daily meals at the school, which is no longer in session,” Jones said. “We helped pack and distribute over 1,200 meals to families with children in need from our area.”

In a time when social distancing is required, Jones had the idea of converting the pharmacy’s drive-thru window into food distribution site. “It was an easy solution for getting this needed food to our community,” he said. “I can't tell you how grateful many of these families were to receive these meals.”

The response was so great he had to coordinate with the local fire department to direct traffic.

I think everyone who gets into health care has a servant's heart, but I know my time at Samford only amplified mine,” Jones said.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.