On Aug. 29, 15 students from the Division of Health Sciences joined division chair Dr. Amy Hicks to distribute back-to-school supplies and food at Unity Health on Main. The experience gave them firsthand insight into public health.
Unity Health on Main is a clinic that assists the medically underserved in the Greenville community. “Students from health sciences learn about the socioeconomic factors that impact the health of communities in their classes,” said Hicks. “Public health works to improve socioeconomic factors in order to improve the health of a whole community. We go out and volunteer with groups like Unity Health so students can really see these principles worked out in real life. It puts faces to class lessons, and they really understand the material better than they ever could in a classroom.”
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During the event, students handed out school supplies and boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables to families while conducting surveys of each household. “These surveys identified the household income, schools attended and other important information. This data is vital for better understanding who is using these services and what other needs they may have,” said Hicks.
Senior Ashley Lowery said participating in the event and other similar events has opened her eyes to the needs around her. “With each outreach/community service that I commit to I am shown two key things: people need people, and people need Jesus,” she said. “If I can be used as a means of revealing their physical and spiritual requirements, then I want to be willing and able. This event is one of many that has helped me in that.”
Interested in studying public health at BJU? Learn more on the Public Health/Global Health program page.
