Student Volunteers Procure Masks and Deliver Groceries
April 9, 2020
PCOM Georgia students are volunteering to secure protective gear for local hospitals
and assist Gwinnett County residents with food shopping.
Students pursuing degrees in the health professions often feel a calling to care for
others. Two groups of students at PCOM Georgia are pursuing this passion and have
found themselves with two full-time endeavors.
They’ve transitioned to either taking classes or participating in rotations virtually,
while also spending multiple hours volunteering their services during this season
of COVID-19.
Medical Students for Masks
Under the leadership of osteopathic medicine (DO) student Kathleen Bridges (’21), Medical Students for Masks – Atlanta, got its start just over a week ago. In a short amount of time, more than 50 students
have raised over $5,000 to purchase masks and other PPE for healthcare workers. The
students have placed their first order and are expecting a delivery soon.
Drawing on her fundraising skills honed in college at the University of Florida, Bridges
decided to launch the project after learning about the efforts of students at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia. “They gave me guidance and let us use their material to get started,”
she said.
Bridges then reached out to her classmates and was “overwhelmed” by their response.
“Every single day, people are being added to the team,” she said, including students
from every program on campus and others. Kayla Thomas (DO ’21) developed a website
“in a matter of hours.” Donations can be made via Go Fund Me, PayPal or Venmo.
The team has several point people. Kylie Alberts (DO ’21) is in charge of a team that
researches and contacts suppliers and ensures that these companies are following FDA
and CDC guidelines. They are concentrating on American-based companies that have switched
over to creating and securing PPE such as N95 masks and sanitizer.
“We’re using a different avenue of purchasing than a hospital would conventionally
use,” Bridges said.
Olga Vacariuc (DO ’21) leads a team that is contacting Georgia hospitals to determine
their needs and donation policies. “Every day, hospital needs change and we want to
make sure we’re allocating appropriately,” Bridges said. The students are also working
to supply gloves, gowns and hand sanitizer.
“We’re running a business out of our living rooms,” Bridges said, relying on Excel
spreadsheets to inform them. “Everyone is so passionate about this. I’m really proud
of our school,” she said.
COVID Captains deliver groceries
Second-year DO student Hiral Patel (’22), along with Amy Tran (DO ’22) and Manali
Desai (DO ’22), searched for ways to contribute and decided to develop COVID Captains, a team of students who grocery shop for the elderly or those with weakened immune
systems.
The team developed an email address, a Facebook page and a survey and began to spread
the word about their service with Publix and Kroger distributing flyers. The City
of Suwanee and the Lawrenceville Police Department shared the information via social
media and soon newspapers and a local TV station carried the story.
With students living across Gwinnett County, the team provides services within a 30
minute radius of the PCOM Georgia campus. Working in teams of two, usually roommates, they either pick up online orders or
shop for those not able to.
COVID Captains has received about 20 interest emails in the past week. Patel explained,
“We respond with the survey and then match them with a volunteer. The volunteer then
completes the delivery.”
Patel graduated from North Gwinnett High School before earning a degree at the University
of Georgia. She said, “This is the community where I grew up and I want to help.”
Learn more about the College's response to COVID-19.
Established in 2005, PCOM Georgia is a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private,
not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education with a storied 125-year
history dedicated to the healthcare professions. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County),
PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical
therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science
and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in
helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach
to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education
and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center,
an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment.
For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
Contact Us
Jamesia Harrison, MS Assistant Director, News and Media Relations Email: jamesiaha@pcom.edu Office: 678-225-7532 | Cell: 470-572-7558