VCOM 2021 Annual Report

Working Together for Our Local Communities

D ue to the COVID-19 pandemic, the community outreach experience was highly limited for each campus. This did not discourage the VCOM campuses from supporting their surrounding communities with donation drives, acts of kindness and charity and COVID-19 vaccination clinics. The following pages show just a portion of the outreach activities that were held. Virginia Outreach Face Masks for Seniors - The Hispanic Community Medical Outreach (HCMO) and Student American Academy of Osteopathy (SAAO) student organizations delivered 300 face mask holders to English Meadows, a senior living community. Collecting Canned Goods - The student organization, Bioethics and Humanities in Medicine Committee (BAHM), collected canned goods to benefit the Montgomery County Christmas Store. Sprouts of Hope - The student organization, Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS), held the event “Sprouts of Hope for Our Seniors” on the VCOM-Virginia patio. The students replanted succulents into larger, more permanent pots and wrote special notes to the retirement community residents. The GHHS officers delivered the Warm Hearth Retirement Community’s special gifts to be a ray of light during a tumultuous time. Toys for Tots - Through the direction and kindness of VCOM employees John Linkous and Bill Price, the Toys for Tots boxes at VCOM-Virginia were filled by the Operations Department’s generosity, individual donations and a gift from VCOM. The Operations

Department conducts an annual Holiday Breakfast for the members, but since it was canceled this year because of the pandemic, it was decided to use the funds for a donation cause instead. John Linkous suggested to “fill up” the Toys for Tots boxes. Several IT Department and Operations Department members purchased over $600 worth of toys and filled both Toys for Tots boxes and a third box. Providing Basics for Seniors - HCMO and BAHM partnered to host a donation drive to Warm Hearth Village. Warm Hearth Village is a local senior living center for low-income seniors in the New River Valley. They collected 202 total personal care items (lotion, soap, deodorant, lip balm) and wrote 153 holiday cards for their residents. The average income among those residents is $800/month, some receiving as low as or less than $400/month. The donations were accepted through the Warm Hearth Foundation’s Micah’s Personal Care Items program, which provides access to these basic but essential items for these residents, who often don’t have the funds left after paying bills, buying groceries and medical expenses to afford these items. Vittles for Vets in Radford - Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (SAMOPS) teamed up with the non-profit organization Vittles for Vets in Radford, VA, to brighten the holiday season for local veterans. Their goal is to let local veterans in need know that they are cared for and appreciated by providing essentials and items that will help pass the time during what could prove to be a lonely winter for some. Vittles for Vets in Salem/Roanoke - Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC)’s St. Francis House Food Pantry partnered with VCOM-Virginia and Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (SAMOPS) to provide and deliver groceries to 25 veterans in need in the Roanoke and Salem area for Vittles for Vets. Vaccine Clinics - VCOM faculty and students were able to assist with the New River Health District’s vaccination efforts, reaching out to help protect the local community against COVID-19.

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