Keck Medicine of USC students support communities hit by LA wildfires
When the Eaton and Palisades wildfires devastated areas of Los Angeles County earlier this year, they sparked a swift response from students at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
In January, the student-run organization Blueprints for Pangea — a nonprofit that reallocates unused medical supplies from areas of surplus to those in need — coordinated a team of volunteers to collect personal protective equipment and other supplies. The Master of Science in Global Medicine program donated an array of medical supplies, as well.
A total of 28 Keck School of Medicine of USC student volunteers convened Feb. 6 to process and deliver thousands of N95 masks, gloves and other supplies. They distributed them to Tapestry LA, a shelter connecting evacuees with resources; Share A Meal, a mobile kitchen providing food for those in need; Helping Hands Senior Foundation, which provides support for older adults; and Stray Cat Alliance, which helps pets affected by the fire.
“Since the fires impacted large communities, there wasn’t just one organization that we could donate to,” said Emily Hsieh, a progressive degree student in the Master of Science in Global Medicine program and senior advisor of the operations branch of Blueprints for Pangaea USC. “So, we started the day early at 6 a.m. in preparation for distribution to multiple sites. There was a great sense of urgency to get supplies out because the wildfires impacted so many people and took long to contain. Many families had lost everything including their homes, which housed their supplies—whether that was personal possessions or even medical equipment.”