Nearly 700 Campbell University students, faculty and staff united for three days of service during the third annual Camels Care CommUNITY Days.
The interprofessional event brought together volunteers from the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences and the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine, along with undergraduate students studying social work, pre-pharmacy and pre-nursing. Participants volunteered at 13 community service sites across central and eastern North Carolina.
Camels Care CommUNITY Days gives students from different academic programs opportunities to work alongside one another while supporting organizations that address health, hunger, accessibility, environmental conservation and other community needs.
“Camels Care CommUNITY Days allows us to make a tangible difference in the communities we serve while giving our students an opportunity to learn about, with and from one another,” said Dr. Laura Gerstner, event leader and chair of the Physician Assistant Program. “When students from different health professions and undergraduate programs serve side by side, they gain a greater understanding of one another’s roles and see firsthand how collaboration strengthens our ability to address the needs of individuals and communities.”
Although most activities took place Sept. 18 and 19, the Coharie Pow Wow Health Fair on Sept. 12 was also included as part of this year’s initiative.
Volunteers supported the following organizations and events:
Special Olympics HealthFest: A multistation health and wellness fair served more than 120 student-athletes from Harnett County Schools. Each athlete was paired with a volunteer buddy who guided them through the fair.
Coharie Pow Wow Health Fair: CPHS and CUSOM participants provided blood pressure checks, height and weight measurements, glucose screenings, pain management education and naloxone education with free boxes of Narcan. A children’s station offered activities with common medical supplies. The team also welcomed 105 attendees and helped coordinate a raffle for those who visited at least eight health fair stations.
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina: Campbell teams served at the organization’s Raleigh, Durham and Greenville branches. Some groups bagged potatoes, while others packed 500 boxes of food for seniors and placed them on pallets for distribution. The boxes contained a variety of items, including juice, pasta, canned goods, peanut butter and beans.
DUMA Food Bank in Dunn: Participants checked food expiration dates and packed food bags for local families. They also prepared Backpack Buddy and snack bags for students in elementary through high school to take home on weekends. The groups worked together to assemble Thanksgiving outreach materials for area churches to help recruit food and monetary donations for DUMA’s largest annual event.
Miracle League of the Triangle: Working directly with athletes during inclusive baseball games, volunteers helped in several ways, including warming up, running the bases, pushing wheelchairs and cheering them on.
Catholic Charities in Fayetteville’s Diaper Bank: Students unpacked and organized diapers, stocked shelves, moved inventory and broke down boxes for recycling, helping the organization provide diapers and other essential supplies to families in need.
Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina: Teams created custom-decorated folders used to present wish information to children with critical illnesses and their families.
Campbell University faculty and staff flu shot clinic: Students applied skills learned in the classroom to administer flu vaccines to University employees, helping protect the campus community and reduce the spread of influenza.
Dunn-Erwin Rail Trail: Groups picked up trash and debris along the trail connecting Dunn and Erwin. Their work helped maintain a clean, welcoming recreational space for walkers, runners, bicyclists and families.
Dr. Annie Louise Wilkerson Nature Preserve Park in Raleigh: Students helped improve the preserve’s trails by spreading new mulch and replacing the tree limbs used to mark and line the paths.
The Underground Railroad: Participants completed inventory work for the nonprofit, which brings people and resources together to help house people experiencing homelessness, feed individuals facing hunger and support vulnerable members of the community.
The variety of service experiences allowed students to see how health and well-being are influenced by access to food, preventive care, inclusive recreation, supportive services and safe community spaces.
Working in interprofessional teams also allowed students to learn from peers in other programs and better understand the perspectives and skills each discipline contributes. Those experiences help prepare future health professionals to communicate effectively, solve problems collaboratively and provide patient-centered care.
“It was rewarding to work alongside students from other programs and see how each of us could contribute,” said Pratham Murkute (’27 MSPS Candidate). “We learned from one another while completing work that will continue to benefit the community.”
Camels Care CommUNITY Days reflects Campbell’s commitment to service and its mission to prepare graduates who are ready to improve the health and well-being of the communities they serve.
