The John A. Burns School of Medicine Homeless Outreach and Medical Education (H.O.M.E.) Project invites everyone to pause this week to consider how to share the bounty most of us have with others not so fortunate.
It is no coincidence that the “National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week” is held each year the week before Thanksgiving, as we all to start to think about what we are thankful for in our lives.
MD Student Volunteers with the H.O.M.E. Project, at the projectʻs annual fundraiser.
The coming holidays are a perfect time to share our compassion with our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness, and work toward a world where no one has to experience Hunger and Homelessness. (In fact, our medical students also have erected a Christmas Tree in the lobby on which they invite people to place ornaments made of accounts of compassion you have witnessed in a health care setting.)
In the Medical Education Building lobby at Kakaʻako, consider dropping off donations this week. Here are the planned themes:
Monday, Nov. 16: Bottled water
Tuesday, Nov. 17: Non-perishable foods
Wednesday, Nov. 18: Camping gear and outdoor survival gear
Thursday, Nov. 19: Blankets, clothes, shoes
Friday, Nov. 20: Personal hygiene supplies
During this week, Nov. 15 and Nov. 17 at the Hawaiʻi International Fall Film Festival, there will be a screening of “Dear Thalia”, a documentary about homelessness. See a preview and learn more.
The H.O.M.E. Project Van
More about the Hawaiʻi H.O.M.E. Project
Founded in 2005 by Jill Omori, MD, a JABSOM alumna and Associate Director of the Office of Medicine Education, the project offers medical services including care for acute and chronic health problems, preventive services, health counseling, vaccines, and free medications for those without insurance. By 2012, the medical student and faculty operated clinics had tallied some 7,600 encounters with patients See: Hawaiʻi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 2012.
In addition to the clinics, H.O.M.E. also sponsors Keiki Halloween carnivals, Keiki Christmas parties, Mother’s Day gift drives, a teen mentoring program, and an annual school supply drive in support of the health and well-being of this growing community.
The Medical Education Element
All medical students in their first year at JABSOM must participate in a yearlong community health setting, and H.O.M.E. is one of 10 options available to them. To contact the H.O.M.E. project, contact:
Dr. Jill Omori
Phone: (808) 223-8859
Fax: (808) 692-1252
jill.omori@hawaii.edu