Group collects medical supplies for Third World

Although this may be the National Society of Collegiate Scholars' first year on Penn's campus, the organization is making an impact far beyond West Philadelphia.

It is making an impact on the world.

As one of their community service projects this year, the members of NSCS -- an honor society composed of approximately 1,000 members that focuses on service, leadership and scholarship -- participated in the Global Medical Relief Fund project by collecting hygienic and medical supplies from hospitals, students and members of the Penn and West Philadelphia communities to send to Third World countries.

"I really thought it would be a perfect project for our campus," said Engineering sophomore Anand Patel, president of NSCS.

Patel said that the "motivated students" at Penn and availability and proximity of the hospitals made Penn a perfect location for the project, sponsored by GlobeMed, a nonprofit collection and distributing organization.

Thirty NSCS students participated in door-to-door collections of monetary donations and hygienic products, contacting corporations and hospitals for donations and getting everything organized in order to be shipped.

Donations came from sources including students, Freshgrocer customers, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and other area hospitals.

NSCS members involved in the project were looking for basic necessities and medical supplies.

"These people have absolutely nothing," Patel said.

From intravenous poles to trash cans, linens to beds and surgical equipment to water bottles, Patel said that the members collected more than GlobeMed had ever expected.

"All of the stuff we have was about to be thrown away or auctioned," Patel said. "It's still good stuff, packaged and wrapped."

But once the supplies are collected, there is still the challenge of getting them over to Chicago, where GlobeMed will sort the supplies and send them to the countries that need them most.

"None of this would be possible without the Penn mail system," Patel said, noting that they are paying Brokers International, a freight and trucking company, to take up to 25,000 pounds of supplies to Chicago.

GlobeMed will distribute supplies to various countries, including Ghana, where College sophomore Harveen Bal, the secretary and treasurer of NSCS, worked this summer with Penn Pediatrics Professor Kwaku Ohene-Frempong.

"We are making an enormous difference for people who have nothing," Bal said, noting that she receives "personal satisfaction" from helping a country in which she worked.

"I'm really impressed that it was such a good response and a great turnout," she added.

"When students work together with the community and with Penn, it's possible to do some really good things for the world," Patel said.

Patel is planning on participating in this project next year, but on an even larger scale by targeting corporations. He also wants to double the amount collected from students by having the fraternities and sororities on campus participate in donating hygienic supplies.

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