SOMA Unity Project 2010

Thanks to many students volunteering their time over the holidays, the SOMA Unity Project was once again a success! New to the Unity Project this year, there were regional projects in each of the four SOMA regions.

For the Region I Unity Project on December 29, SOMA members volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey in Camden, NJ. The Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey serves as a “home away from home” for families whose children are being treated at nearby hospitals for critical illnesses or traumatic injuries. During this project, we had a blast showing off our culinary skills by cooking a large dinner feast for the 40 residents of the House. All of the families seemed to really enjoy the meal we prepared. After dinner, we were given a tour of the House. Following the tour, we let everyone’s inner rock star shine by throwing a karaoke party for the families. We joined in with the families and all had fun belting out tunes from Whitney Houston, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, and Rihanna (just to name a few). Overall, the project turned out really well and everyone had a lot of fun.

The Region II Unity Project was held as the AOF’s Student Leadership Project. From December 27-30, 23 SOMA and COSGP members had the opportunity to travel to the rural community of Tutwiler, MS and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. We worked side by side with members of the Tutwiler community to build homes for families in need. Volunteers were also able to shadow a local DO, Sister Anne Brooks, in the Tutwiler Family Practice Clinic and the Clarksdale Hospital. The project was quite a success and a wonderful experience.

For the Region III Unity Project on December 28, SOMA members volunteered at REST in Chicago, IL. REST is a comprehensive homeless services provider that works collaboratively to provide safe, quality, permanent and emergency housing options and supportive social services to adult men and women who are homeless in Chicago. During this project, our volunteers helped out in many different ways. We organized hundreds of items of clothing for REST’s drive which will provide REST program participants with clothing such as warm winter coats and business attire. We also made over 100 gift bags containing things like winter hats, gloves, scarves, and socks for program participants. We all had a great experience and feel like we accomplished a lot.

For the Region IV Unity Project on December 28, SOMA members volunteered Ronald McDonald House of Charities of Phoenix, Inc. in Phoenix, AZ. Similar to the Region I project, we were all able to release our inner “Top Chef” and cook an amazing meal for the families staying at the House. There was plenty of food to go around and we all had a great time!

I’d like to thank everyone who participated in the multi-regional Unity Project this year. I’d personally like to thank Lindsey Fisch of MSU-COM and Crystal Scott of AZCOM for serving as project leaders for the Region III and Region IV projects, respectively. I’d like to acknowledge and thank the ATSU-KCOM SOMA chapter for holding a toiletries collection drive and donating the items to REST. Lastly, I want to thank the SOMA Foundation for generously providing a grant to fund the projects for Region I and Region IV, which made those projects possible.

Thank you,
Alicia Isom

SOMA Unity Project Director

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