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Katrina Relief Efforts

From December 26 to December 30, 2005, twenty one students of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) traveled to Long Beach, Mississippi during their winter break to perform volunteer work for victims of Hurricane Katrina.  The trip was conceived of and coordinated by Alan Shahtaji, the president of CCOM's chapter of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), and chairperson of the SOMA National Unity Project.  Camp Coast Care, a relief center for survivors of the hurricane, housed, fed and coordinated the relief activities of the CCOM volunteers, as well as volunteers from all over the United States.  Camp Coast Care continues to operate a food and clothing distribution center and offers free medical care and medication.

Under the guidance of Camp Coast Care, CCOM volunteers either worked on-site, or were organized into work crews and dispatched to the homes of area residents.  The damage to everything was staggering.   We cleared debris and performed demolition and clean-up work at the request of homeowners, many of whom will receive little or no federal or private insurance coverage.

This experience was an important piece of our education and training as student physicians.  We made many new friends, including students from other osteopathic colleges, and people of all ages from around the country, all united by the common goal of helping people in need.  The personal and emotional accounts of the hurricane victims deeply affected each of us.  Certainly, we returned from the trip with a deeper understanding of Hurricane Katrina and its profound, life-changing effects on the people living in the Gulf Coast area.  More importantly, however, I believe that our conviction and desire to serve human beings in need, including our future patients, was strengthened.

We appreciate the support of the Community Health Resource Center.  Thank you.

Sincerely yours,
Christopher Messana
Participant in the 2005 SOMA Unity Project President of the Class of 2008 Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine Midwestern University.

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