Emory University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

MedShare is a nonprofit organization based in Decatur, Georgia that collects unused and sterile medical equipment and supplies from hospitals around the country and sends them to over 72 developing countries worldwide. Free clinics and nonprofit organizations within the United States are eligible to receive these supplies as well. Emory's involvement in MedShare dates back to 1998 when it was founded by former Emory employees, who sought advice from some of Emory's professors and deans prior to the founding of the organization. Also, Emory University Hospital Midtown (previously Crawford Long Hospital) was one of MedShare's first surplus product gathering sites. Emory Healthcare senior leadership have served on Medshare advisory committees and boards in the past. Without MedShare, these supplies would be incinerated or dumped into landfills, negatively impacting the environment and also those in need who would have made good use of those supplies. http://www.medshare.org/

UHI began in 2011 through the initiative of William Sexson, MD of the Emory University School of Medicine and Carlos Del Rio, MD of the Emory University School of Medicine and the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. In recognition of the substantial health challenges and disparities experienced by local urban residents and the incredible health sciences resources present in Atlanta, UHI was developed to be a unique hub for interdisciplinary and academic-community partnerships around significant urban health issues. UHI provides health disparities education and advocacy, builds collaborative partnerships and develops best practice models with underserved communities and those who work with them in Metropolitan Atlanta in order to advance equity in health and well-being. http://urbanhealthinitiative.emory.edu/index.html

The South Georgia Farmworker Health Project was developed in 1996 in collaboration with the Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center (SOWEGA AHEC) in Albany, Georgia, and in collaboration with the Georgia Farmworker Health Program, State Office of Primary Care. Working under the direction of physicians from the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory School of Medicine, and faculty from the Emory Physicians Assistant Program, students and faculty provide free health care to farm workers and their dependents in far south Georgia during a peak period of the summer agricultural season. Community volunteers participate as interpreters, as health care providers, and provide logistic support and supplies for the Project. The program has grown from its initial one week outreach, providing care to approximately 150 farmworkers, to a two week outreach providing free care to 1200-1700 farmworkers and family members. The Project has helped document the need for these services in South Georgia, and has thus contributed to the expansion of on-going services for Farmworkers in Echols and Decatur counties. http://med.emory.edu/pa/about_us/community_service/farm_worker/

The Turner Environmental Law Clinic at Emory University School of Law offers a practical clinical education to the aspiring environmental attorney. By providing free legal assistance to individuals, community groups, and nonprofit organizations that seek to protect and restore the natural environment for the benefit of the public, the law clinic trains law students to be effective environmental attorneys with high ethical standards and a sensitivity to the natural environment. By working with the majority of the environmental groups in the state of Georgia, the law clinic has expanded the effectiveness of the environmental community on issues ranging from opposition to proposed coal-fired and nuclear power plants, to preservation of marshes and wetlands, to protection of communities from undesirable facilities such as landfills. http://law.emory.edu/academics/clinics/turner-environmental-clinic.html Application for United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise Emory University partnered with Georgia Tech and other metro-Atlanta colleges and universities to submit an application for a UN Greater Atlanta Regional Center of Expertise for Education for Sustainable Development. The Center will provide a framework for institutions and business partners to collaborate and coordinate efforts. The application was submitted in late May 2017 and a final decision will be made by the United Nations by Dec. 2017. re:loom is a program of Initiative for Affordable Housing (IAH). Founded in 1990 with one home and one homeless family, IAH’s mission is to provide permanent, affordable housing to homeless and low-income families in metro Atlanta. re:loom grew naturally from their work with adults who struggled to secure and maintain jobs. They help individuals address obstacles to employment through paid on-site job training and leadership opportunities. At re:loom, weavers design and produce handmade rugs, scarves, bags, etc. from donated textiles, plastics, and other materials, and lead teams of weave house volunteers in Decatur, GA. With a stable salary, 100% healthcare coverage, and opportunities to engage in the operation of the weave house, employees gain a financial foundation, leadership skills, and a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Emory and the Office of Sustainability Initiatives have an ongoing partnership with re:loom to “upcycle” old textiles, such as old custodial uniforms and outdated athletic jerseys. Several Emory organizations have also volunteered with re:loom, including Greeks Go Green, the Track and Field team and Volunteer Emory.

Additional website with information about community partnerships: http://sustainability.emory.edu/page/1019/Programs-and-Partners