Martie Sanders, pursuing her Masters of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago, began hosting a garden club for families at Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden in Chicago in May 2019. This intergenerational club offers weekly garden lessons for grade school children and their caregivers. It also employs local teenagers as garden mentors. The club gives families who lack access to green spaces the opportunity to grow food, try healthy recipes, and connect with each other through education and community arts engagements at the garden. Martie hopes to raise $400 for fall planting projects with families: winter cover crop seeds, tulip bulbs, and perennial plantings of raspberry, strawberry, garlic, Rudbeckia, and Echinacea. Additionally, the garden's picnic zone needs grass and Martie seeks $1,200 for the delivery and installation of sod grass in spring 2020 and the purchase of a hose.

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 2019, the Schweitzer Fellows for Life network launched Fellows Fest 2019, 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 17th, 6-8pm 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."