UTMB's School of Public and Population Health (SPPH) wrapped up National Public Health Week with a meaningful day of community service and engagement. Students participated in three impactful volunteer opportunities across Galveston County, embodying this year's theme of "It Starts Here" through hands-on service. These activities not only benefited local residents but also provided students with valuable real-world public health experience outside the classroom.
Tackling Food Insecurity at Galveston County Food Bank
SPPH students volunteered at the Galveston County Food Bank (GCFB), an organization that distributes over 7.6 million pounds of food annually to approximately 22,000 individuals across the county. Students helped sort donations, pack grocery bags with fresh produce and other items from local grocery stores, and assisted community members by helping them gather food and load their vehicles.
Several students reflected on their time at the Galveston County Food Bank, each offering a unique perspective.
“Volunteering with GCFB was a really cool experience,” one student shared. “The staff was super accommodating, and the community was very welcoming. We learned a lot about GCFB and all the hard work the staff and volunteers put in to ensure that there is less hunger in the community.”
Another student observed the diversity of those served: “People of all ages, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds were at the food bank, which further emphasizes that anyone at any point in their life can experience food insecurity.” They also noted the emotional complexity of the work: “I felt excited and content that I was able to help make an impact today and help so many people... On the other hand, there was some sadness and a sense of hopelessness when community members were upset they didn't get items such as milk, chicken, or eggs.”
A third student reflected more broadly on the public health implications: “The work of public health is often invisible, but the impact is unmistakable.”
Transformative Service at the Christina Sullivan Foundation
While some students addressed food insecurity at GCFB, others gathered at the Christina Sullivan Foundation (CSF) for two meaningful service projects that embodied the foundation's mission of fostering hope, inclusion, and dignity.
The CSF, a vital UTMB community partner founded in 2017, has become a cornerstone for inclusive programming in Galveston County. Founded by Craig and Josephine Sullivan in memory of their daughter Christina, the organization transforms lives through adaptive sports, therapeutic recreation, and educational initiatives. Christina, who lived with cerebral palsy that rendered her quadriplegic and nonverbal, inspired countless people with her radiant smile and indomitable spirit.
"That smile in the morning got you up and made you realize what really is important in this world—loving and caring for one another," Josephine Sullivan shared. This philosophy of unconditional love permeates every aspect of the foundation's work.
At the CSF facility, SPPH students worked on two projects with far-reaching impact. First, they created handmade blankets in partnership with Project Linus, which provides comfort items to children facing serious illness, trauma, or emotional challenges. These blankets—over 10 million distributed nationwide since 1995—offer tangible security to vulnerable children in hospitals and shelters.
Simultaneously, other students decorated lunch bags for Kids' Meals Inc., which delivers free, healthy meals to preschool-aged children experiencing extreme poverty in Harris County. Each decorated bag will brighten a child's day while providing essential nutrition that supports proper development.
Building Bridges: Educational Partnerships in Action
The CSF represents more than a community service site—it's a transformative educational partner for UTMB students across multiple disciplines. Through programs like Camp PossAbilities, the foundation provides hands-on training opportunities where students from the School of Public and Population Health, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and School of Health Professions gain invaluable experience working with individuals with differing abilities.
"We love what we do," Craig Sullivan explained. "We've met a lot of challenges along the way, but I believe we're here for a purpose, and we keep going."
This dedication has created a unique intersection of service, education, and research. One SPPH student, under the guidance of Dr. Kelly Grace, has been collaborating with the foundation on data collection and impact measurement.
"I'm helping them get more funding and more collaborations and sponsorships," the student shared. "I'm making a website for them, so it's a little bit more accessible than just a typical annual report. If it's in a website format that's clickable, it's more visually appealing and easier for parents to access, especially because a lot of the data was collected by parents."
The student's project includes tracking participation rates and volunteer engagement through surveys. "We have charts where we've tracked participation rates and how much it's improved, how much more volunteers are engaged," the student explained. This partnership benefits both the foundation and SPPH by providing real-world experience in program evaluation while helping a community organization better demonstrate its impact.
"We're educating what a disability is and how you treat someone," Josephine explained. "It's about raising expectations and giving people hope." This educational mission extends to students who gain experiential learning opportunities that textbooks simply cannot provide.
Student Reflections on Public Health in Action
The volunteer experiences prompted students to reflect on the social determinants of health they had studied in the classroom. One student shared, "Public health was the main thing I thought of during my time volunteering! Learning that in order to get food from the food bank, you have to register and prove you are food insecure or need governmental assistance—that is public health related."
The student continued, "One community member had to walk with most of their groceries being carried on their back, and another mentioned that they spent the last of their money on rent and this is the only way they are able to get food. I was able to see the social determinants of health in action."
For one international student, the experience connected to previous work in their home country: "Seeing the immediate impact of our work—the gratitude in people's faces, the sense of relief as they received their bags—reinforced why I chose public health. It reminded me of similar volunteer experiences in my home country, Bangladesh, where donating and distributing food during emergencies is common. While the spirit of helping was the same, I was impressed by how systematic and well-resourced GCFB's operations were in comparison."
Another student emphasized how the day reinforced their public health mission: "As a student, this experience at GCFB reinforced my desire to fight hunger and also my passion for everything that public health stands for."
Through these diverse service experiences, SPPH students concluded National Public Health Week by putting their education into practice, addressing real community needs while gaining deeper insight into the complex challenges and rewarding work of building healthier communities.
Follow us on Instagram @utmb_spph for event photos.