It was a busy month at ColoradoSPH as the second annual school-wide volunteer month took place throughout November. Dozens of staff, faculty, and students donated their time, resources, and energy to help their communities and neighbors.
First, more than 400 items of food were collected at the school for the CU Anschutz food pantry, which is open to all students, faculty, and staff, offering food, hygiene items, and pet supplies.
Next, groups volunteered at Project C.U.R.E., which is the largest provider of donated medical supplies and equipment to developing countries around the world, and is headquartered in Denver. Volunteer activities included sorting medical equipment, doing medical equipment intake, and more.
Finally, volunteers decorated more than 200 bags for Project Angel Heart, a local non-profit that provides delivered meals to those with chronic illnesses. Earlier this year, school volunteers went on-site to volunteer for a half-day to pack special dietary meals, create snack kits, and more. Project Heart provides more than 700,000 meals to more than 5,000 families per year from Fort Collins to Pueblo, at no cost to recipients.
Johnna Bakalar, MPH, and a PhD candidate, also led an effort to collect food and household items in lieu of SNAP benefits being cancelled (it has now been restored but delayed in some areas). She worked with local donors, including our partners at CDPHE, to collect items for more than 40 local households, including about 200 people, 120 of whom were children.
At the CSU and UNC campuses, food and toy drives were also held.
There are still opportunities to get involved throughout the year, find resources below: