This year, Sandra Dargatz, Campus Director of Ross Medical Education Center in Lansing, Michigan, learned of a shortage of children’s winter accessories in the local Lansing area. Sandra shared this information with her Ross staff, faculty, and students, and throughout the month of November and most of December a drive was held to collect hats and mittens for local school children. Each day, the number of items being collected grew. In the holiday spirit, the warm weather gear was strung up and displayed across several interior campus windows.
On December 20th, Sandra and a group of Ross Lansing students delivered two huge boxes filled with a variety of children’s hats, mittens, and gloves to Waverly School District’s Elmwood Elementary School. The items were given to young children, attending kindergarten through fifth grade, in need of warm outerwear that will help provide them warmth and comfort throughout Michigan’s frigid winter months.
Sandra Dargatz said, “The goal of this community service project was to connect the Ross students with basic needs of children in our local area. Often, there are times when ‘basic needs’ are invisible as most people think that children are not affected by economic depression. Many of the Ross students that went to hand out the hats and mittens were emotionally moved by seeing elementary children get excited over hats and mittens. I used this project to remind our students that needs of our patients do not necessarily shout at us. Many times need is hidden and silent.”
David Nadorozny, a student in the Medical Assistant program, shared a very personal message regarding the drive: “To go outside in the winter and not have a hat with gloves to keep you warm can be painful. Especially when you don’t have them not because you forgot them, but because your family can not afford them. I personally know that pain in the winter of not always having all the essential items you need to ensure your warmth. It was the easiest decision to donate hats and gloves to kids who need them, because I wish someone would have done that for me.”
By uniting to collect items for this urgent need, Ross staff, faculty, and students were able to make an impact on the lives of those most vulnerable in the Lansing community – young children. It was a rewarding way to end 2018, and everyone at Ross’ Lansing campus looks forward to lending a helping hand to others when and where the need arises throughout the new year.