UNC's School of Public Health reaches out to help victims of Hurricane Katrina

The students, staff and faculty of the UNC School of Public Health are closing in on their goal of raising $10,000 to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The collection boxes placed in each SPH department Sept. 6 by the Student Union Board (SUB) will be collected on Friday, September 23, and delivered to the American Red Cross on behalf of the school. Both cash and checks made out to the Red Cross will be accepted. Alumni and friends of the school who are interested in contributing are encouraged to donate directly to the Red Cross and then contact Janice Periquet with details so their donation may be counted toward the School’s pledge. Janice can be reached at janice_periquet@unc.edu or 919-966-0218.

Photograph of Tom Morris

Tom Morris is even donating a bicycle – the Trek 820 mountain bike that he won in a recent Pepsi promotion drawing in the Atrium Cafi. Morris, manager of both the End User Support and the Information and Network Security at the SPH, already had a bike, so when he heard about the Red Cross fund drive, he decided to let the SUB raise even more money by raffling off the bike.

“One way or the other I want to donate,” Morris said. “It is the people who could least afford to leave the city who really need the help. When you see the devastation and how far it goes, it takes your breath away.”

Black Ribbon Sale

The Minority Student Caucus has been selling black ribbons each day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Atrium. The sale goes through Friday, and the proceeds will be added to the pledge drive. Ribbons are selling for a minimum $2 donation each, which also gives the doner a chance to win Morris’ bike.

“We chose the Black Ribbon because we hope it will be a constant reminder of the devastation that has been suffered in the Gulf Coast and the work needed to improve health and social equity,” said Zipatly Mendoza, Minority Student Caucus Co-Chair

For more information, contact Zipatly Mendoza at zmendoza@email.unc.edu or Iguehi E Esoimeme at esoimeme@email.unc.edu.

Blood Drive

SUB and the American Red Cross are also co-sponsoring a Blood Drive on Tuesday, September 27. The drive will be held in the Hooker Center Atrium and those interested in donating can register now at this address — http://givesblood.org/go.php?bdc=642941.

Team Epi-Aid

Students and faculty are also donating their expertise to hurricane relief efforts.

Team Epi-Aid, a group of volunteers from the UNC schools of Public Health, Medicine, Pharmacy and Nursing, help to provide North Carolina state and local health departments with workforce surge capacity. In light of Hurricane Katrina, Team Epi-Aid uses its listserv to recruit volunteers to help in the hurricane response.

Photograph of Jennifer Horney

“These students provide extra manpower to do work in those situations,” said Jennifer Horney, the assistant director for the North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness.

“We hope students get the opportunity to gain applied public health experience and that health agencies get the surge capacity that they need to do their job.”

So far 32 students have signed up to help, but more may be needed. Some of the Team Epi-Aid students will volunteer at the Wake County shelters and at the state health department. Others may be deployed to assist in the Gulf Coast area.

The team has contributed nearly 2,000 volunteer hours since 2003, participating in the public health response to Hurricane Isabel and Hurricane Charley, along with other crises such as the outbreak investigation of E. coli at the North Carolina State Fair in 2004.

Team Epi-Aid also won a 2005 Office of the Provost Public Service Award for its efforts to help public health officials respond to the health needs of the people of North Carolina.

Questions or comments about Team Epi-Aid should be directed to Jennifer Horney at jen.horney@unc.edu. Team Epi-Aid’s website is /unc-center-for-public-health-preparedness-2/.

For more information about our School’s hurricane-related relief efforts, contact Communications Director Ramona DuBose at 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.