University of South Carolina (UofSC) School of Medicine Greenville is highly engaged in improving the health and wellness of our community through meaningful bi-directional volunteerism, mentorship, and education programs.
Our students, faculty, and staff are committed to reducing health disparities in our communities through a variety of student-led community outreach initiatives including but not limited to:
In partnership with Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), students, faculty, and staff at the UofSC School of Medicine Greenville donate Christmas gifts to families of the Julie Valentine Center, a local center that provides free, confidential services to sexual assault and child abuse survivors and their families.
The Community Outreach Committee, led by UofSC School of Medicine Greenville students, organizes volunteers for a variety of community outreach activities to engage with Greenville and the Upstate. Organizations that fall within the Community Outreach Committee include:
The Greenville Branch of Achilles International is a running group to empower people of all ages, abilities, and medical/adaptive needs to run, train, and compete in mainstream athletic events. At Achilles, running is any forward movement in a way that best works for the athlete, and there are no restrictions on pace or distance. As a group we provide adaptive equipment, guides, and support to adaptive athletes. We have weekly practices each Saturday at 8am and participate in many races of varying distances and paces together.
FoodShare's mission is to build small and sustainably-managed farms that promote holistic development in our community by providing employment opportunities and fresh produce in food deserts. The food boxes that are provided include 10-12 varieties of produce (worth a $20-30)! FoodShare also has a multitude of volunteering opportunities and typically occur every other week in order to meet the goals of the organization. Medical students are also able to order food boxes and reap the benefits of of assess to health and fresh food sources.
GFMC provides medical and dental care, health education, and prescriptions without charge to low-income, uninsured Greenville County residents. Medical students serve the clinic by triaging patients, taking vitals, serving as interpreters, and assisting the clinic with various other tasks as needed. Visit the Greenville Free Medical Clinic website for more information.
The goal of the Health Outreach Initiative is to educate local middle and high school students on health topics and careers to facilitate a better understanding of health information, improve health literacy, and improve the overall health of the Upstate. Medical students visit local schools monthly to educate students on common diseases, such as heart attacks or diabetes, and how they can intervene if an emergency occurs. Similarly, we incorporate activities about their own bodies in order to empower them to take an active role in maintaining good health throughout their lives. Additionally, we provide information about various career paths in health care, such as nursing and EMS, in an effort to promote a future generation of diverse and outstanding health care providers.
The Hospice Volunteering Group works with both Homestead Hospice and Agape Hospice to provide volunteering opportunities through the two agencies. Volunteers visit a few times a month to provide a warm and friendly face to those going through their last stages of life, provide caregiver relief, and ultimately serve those in hospice in a simple yet very effective way.
The Juvenile Detention Center in Greenville works to provide youth who have committed a crime a safe, secure, and productive environment while they await adjudication, disposition, or placement. As a volunteer group, we aim to educate the youth about a variety of topics from exercise fitness, nutrition, first aid, hygiene, and many more while providing them with a fun and interactive afternoon. The group volunteers at the center for an hour every two weeks.
The Greenville branch of FoodShare is a non-profit dedicated to providing fresh produce to underserved members of the community at a reduced price by packing and delivering food boxes to various locations in Greenville. People of the community place their orders online and receive food boxes filled with produce two times per month. Our student volunteers help prep food boxes, pack boxes with produce, and/or assist in delivering the boxes. These volunteer opportunities are available every other week, and volunteers can help out as often as they would like. Additionally, medical students and faculty are able to sign up to receive food boxes.
The Medical Roots Garden creates a space for students, faculty, and staff to cultivate an organic garden, build the medical community, and emphasize the school’s value of applying lifestyle medicine to one’s practice. Our student-run community garden, located on campus, is a place where students and faculty work together to learn about planting, while maintaining and harvesting seasonal fruits and vegetables. We hope to share our skills and knowledge in the garden with other community members in order to promote healthy lifestyles complete with fresh nutritious produce available to the UofSC SOMG community.
Mentor Upstate is a school mentoring program whose goal is to “support as many children as possible through positive, real one-on-one relationships.” The majority of UofSC SOMG students volunteer at Hollis Elementary and are assigned an elementary school student of the same gender to eat lunch with once a week. This opportunity truly allows our students to develop a relationship with those who might not otherwise have a mentor.
The Positive Exposure Zone seeks to support, encourage and enlighten medical students to become empathetic and compassionate health care providers. Utilizing Positive Exposure multimedia education, the arts, and community involvement, the Positive Exposure Zone of the UofSC School of Medicine Greenville creates innovative opportunities for physicians in training to see beyond a diagnosis, celebrating the humanity of our patients. Please visit the Positive Exposure website for more information.