With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, most people are looking forward to how much food they expect to eat, not how little. This year, students who participate in the UNMC Community Academy are helping feed those in need by hosting a food and sundry needs drive, now through Nov. 22, to benefit Project Hope and The Potter House.
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These boxes will be at various locations across the UNMC campus during the next week. The items requested for the drive are non-perishable food, toiletries, laundry detergent, paper towels, toilet paper, diapers and baby supplies. |
The drive will conclude with free hot fudge sundaes at the Clarkson Café on Friday, Nov. 22, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., for anyone contributing a $1 donation or a food/pantry item.
Project Hope is a North Omaha food pantry located at 42nd and Boyd streets, one block south of 42nd Street and Ames Avenue. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with a referral, individuals and families can visit the Project Hope office and receive food and other necessities.
The Potter House is located at 428 S. 38th St. (38th and Dewey streets). It provides elegant, yet inexpensive housing alternatives for families of long-term patients at NHS University or Clarkson hospitals. More than 1,200 families have been helped over the past 11 years. Some families have stayed at The Potter House as long as six months. Food and pantry items are always in great need at The Potter House to help those families already enduring stressful times.
“Many of the Community Academy students and UNMC Youth Learning Center staff members volunteer at Project Hope several times a year and are very aware of the continuing need to replenish their supplies,” said Lisa Jewell, director of the Community Academy. “The year-round attendance at the Community Academy has given our students a wonderful familiarity with campus faculty and staff. The students felt that by placing food drive boxes throughout the campus, they would be encouraging their new friends at UNMC to get involved, as well.”
UNMC’s Community Academy, one of UNMC’s most successful youth outreach efforts, offers middle and high school students an extensive list of opportunities to learn about health-care careers. Throughout the school year, Community Academy participants meet one Saturday each month, in addition to meeting Tuesday through Friday for three weeks during the summer.
An auxiliary group, the UNMC Community Academy Student Advisory Group, meets once a month to provide feedback on topic areas for Academy sessions; to discuss strategies to assist students in academic success; to brainstorm Web site development ideas; and to offer suggestions for community volunteer activities.
The items requested for the drive are non-perishable food, toiletries, laundry detergent, paper towels, toilet paper, diapers and baby supplies.
Brightly colored posters and drop off boxes for the food drive may be found at the following locations:
- UNMC Nebraska Café — north entrance lobby area
- UNMC Student Life Center — second floor, Student Services window area
- College of Medicine — Wittson Hall, 42nd Street entrance
- College of Nursing — Commons Area, second floor
- College of Pharmacy — Commons Area, first floor
- School of Allied Health Professions — Swanson Hall, outside Room 3017
- Munroe-Meyer Institute — second floor, outside PIO department
For more information about the Community Academy or the food/pantry drive, contact the UNMC Youth Learning Center at 559-6357.