Mallory Davis, a fourth year medical student at Rush University going into Family Medicine, is continuing a partnership with Pilsen’s Healthy Hood organization through a Community Garden that she initiated her first year of school. She has been working to convert an underutilized community space into a more fruitful shared classroom for families to learn about the role of diet and exercise in their overall health and disease prevention and/or treatment. Not only does the space provide hands on educational opportunities, but it also increases access to healthy fruits and vegetables, opposes urban disinvestment, fosters a stronger sense of community, and empowers Pilsen residents to better advocate for their families’ health.

Mallory seeks to raise:

• $50 for storage bins for blood pressure cuffs, glucometers, scales, and stethoscopes, which are used at biweekly "Harvest Hours” for health screenings.
• $75 for live composting worms to use in newly donated worm composting bin. This will 1) increase the garden’s soil production which is particularly important in this community with elevated soil lead levels and 2) expose community members to science and sustainable gardening techniques.
• $100 for basic gardening supplies: drip hose, tomato cages, lattices, garden gloves, harvesting bags, and shovels.
• $100 for indoor gardening supplies—grow lights and window planters—so that gardening can be continued in Healthy Hood’s space even during Chicago’s colder months.
• $100 for year-long color flyer printing and weather-resistant flyer holder to help advertise events at the garden.
• $200 for cooking class materials, tailored to health concerns of participants.
• $600 for T-shirts and journals for all who participate in Garden Club, completion certificate printing, and healthy “prizes” for children participating in the summer health challenge.
• $500 for soil to introduce into the beds, particularly important given elevated lead levels.
• $500 for Healthy Hood Fitness Studio floor replacement. The studio offers affordable fitness classes to families in the community, and has converted the basement of the church into a vibrant space for group exercise. Muralists from the community have donated their time to create a colorful and unique space that has a strong sense of place, and other community members have volunteered their time to install new floors that are safer for exercise. This money would be used to fund some of the raw supplies.

The Schweitzer Fellowship is a year-long service learning program for graduate students in health-related professions who will design and implement innovative direct service projects aimed at improving the health and well-being of underserved Chicago area communities. Through their community projects and participation in a year-long program that includes mentoring support, monthly meetings, written reflection, and interprofessional collaboration, Schweitzer Fellows are developing the skills and confidence needed to become Leaders in Service—professionals who will remain dedicated to public service and to creating change.

In the summer of 2018, the Schweitzer Fellows for Life network launched Fellows Fest 2018, a campaign to help support our current Fellows' projects. Each of the Fellows has created a "wish list" of supplies and resources that will help them realize their service project goals. We also invite you to join us for our Fellows Fest event taking place on September 11 in Chicago. Click here for more info and to RSVP.

The Chicago Areas Schweitzer Fellowship is a program of Health & Medicine Policy Research Group. Your Summer Fest donation will appear on your credit card statement at "Health & Medicine."