EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

DATE: Saturday, March 24, 2018

EVENT: This Saturday, dozens of University of Michigan School of Public Health volunteers will be removing invasive species at the Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, distributing water in Flint, sorting medical supplies in Southfield and packaging food for people in need in Detroit during Michigan Public Health’s second annual Service Day.

“Service Day offers a formalized opportunity for students, alumni, faculty and staff from the School of Public Health to engage our community and promote health,” said Mary Lynam, assistant research scientist at Michigan Public Health, the faculty liaison for the planning team for this event. “Community engagement is at the core of public health work, and we are looking forward to making a difference in our local communities.”

More than 180 members of the School of Public Health community— including current students, faculty, staff and alumni—are registered to volunteer as part of Service Day. Alumni throughout the country have been invited to organize their own service projects, and several projects have been established within Ann Arbor and southeast Michigan for current students, faculty and staff.

The School of Public Health community will volunteer at 10 locations throughout southeast Michigan:

• Gleaners Community Food Bank, Detroit, Pontiac, Warren and Taylor
  Volunteers will sort and package food and prepare supplies for food drives.
• Huron River Watershed Council, Ann Arbor
  Volunteers will participate in educational activities to raise awareness on storm drain and stormwater management.
• World Medical Relief, Southfield
  Under supervision, volunteers will sort and pack medical supplies for international and local programs.
• Growing Hope, Ypsilanti
  Volunteers will do gardening and grounds work on Growing Hope Urban Farm.
• Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
  Volunteers will assist staff in removing invasive species in the natural areas of the Arb.
• Water Distribution, Flint
  The Flint water crisis continues, with bottled water being the safest, most trusted clean water option for Flint residents. Volunteers will distribute cases of bottled water to nearly 1,000 of Flint’s most vulnerable, mobility-limited residents at housing complexes for low-income seniors and people with disabilities.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore of Huron Valley, Ann Arbor
  Volunteers will assist with unloading new donations, setting up and displaying new inventory throughout the ReStore, and providing customer assistance.

PLACE: Media interested in photography and video are invited to join us at 2 p.m. at Gleaners Community Food Bank at 2131 Beaufait St., Detroit. Check in with Stacy Kessel upon arrival.

SPONSOR: U-M School of Public Health

INFORMATION: sph.umich.edu/service-day