BUSPH Students Raise $28,000 for Charities
BU School of Public Health students raised $3,400 in cash and $24,800 in donated vitamins this semester to benefit seven global health charities, as part of a class project that included special events, online donations, and grant writing.
As part of the project in Financial Management for International Health, the MPH students wrote case statements for charitable organizations, developed and executed fundraising plans, and wrote professional fundraising reports. One group decided to write a grant as its fundraising strategy, to benefit Circle of Health International’s program in Haiti.
Students Katie Clifford, Sara Gille, Lauren Whaley and Rebecca Young approached the organization Vitamin Angels to request in-kind donations of vitamin A and multivitamins for pregnant and nursing women and children served by the Christ Pour Tous (CPT) clinic in Haiti. The grant was approved, and will supply 3,400 women and 3,300 children with vitamins for a year, helping to improve their nutritional health and well being. The vitamins are valued at $24,866.
“We were able to raise a large donation which will really help the CPT clinic. I feel we were very successful,” said Clifford.
“This was an awesome experience,” added Young. “The team was great, and I’m happy we were able to work together.”
Over the past four years, students have raised a total of $14,711 in cash, along with the in-kind donation of vitamins, said Taryn Vian, associate professor of International Health, who teaches the course. The class had 28 students this year.
Besides Circle of Health International, the students raised funds for the following organizations this year: 4K for Cancer, a group which cycles across the country to spread awareness about cancer; Containers to Clinics, which provides innovative health care services for mothers and children; Global Greengrants Fund, a grassroots social justice organization; the SPARK Center at Boston Medical Center, which provides services to high-risk children in the Boston area; Wellshare International’s Positive Livelihoods Program in Uganda; and Snehalaya, an organization providing welfare services to children and women in distress in India.
Submitted by Lisa Chedekel