Past Projects

Telehealth Outreach


ED COVID Follow-Up

Telephone and video check-ins with Covid-19 positive patients discharged from Emergency Department who did not meet in-patient criteria. 


EAC – Medical Needs

Assist with outreach to Equal Access Clinic patients to make sure medical needs are being met. 


EAC – Rehab and Activity Promotion

Telehealth visits with the Equal Access Clinic & activity promotion programs. 

 

 

Social Support


Mobile Outreach Clinic Virtual Activities

Help create interactive content alongside staff and care coordinators from MOC to provide MOC patients and community at large with live activities to help combat social isolation and anxiety (examples include things like dance/graphic arts/cooking/yoga classes). Events are held via Facebook live.


Gator Challenge Outreach

Provide weekly health and wellness emails. Partner with isolated individuals to provide support for activity promotion and social support via telephone or electronic communication.


Gatorsitters

We are a group of UF students (medical, dental, physician assistant, undergraduate and graduate) that want to help our UF health care workers who are serving our community during the COVID-19 outbreak. We match students with UF health care workers and provide childcare, pet care, and household management during this time. If you would like to learn more please visit our website.


Community Connections during COVID

Seniors in assisted living facilities are an at risk population during the COVID-19 crisis not only due to their increased risk of complications from the virus, but also due to the social isolation requirements currently put in place to keep them safe which are inadvertently negatively impacting their mental health. This social support program will partner with local assisted living facilities to match student volunteers and residents in a pen pal exchange program via snail mail or email. Students and the residents could exchange letters, artwork, and photos to enforce social connection and community during this time.


ReadingPals

ReadingPals is a statewide early literacy initiative that provides volunteer mentors for students from Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) to 3rd grade who may need extra help, utilizing one-on-one or small group settings. Metcalfe and Rawlings Elementary are both participating and need mentors. Volunteer opportunities are available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons and require a semester-long commitment (approximately 1 hour per week).

 

 

Information Technology and Distribution


contraCOVID Gainesville

contraCOVID is a national student-run organization that aims to help Latinx, Immigrant, and other underserved populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Gainesville, we have adapted the contraCOVID model to create a multilingual, low literacy-friendly community resource guide to connect underserved groups to updated information. We are managing a social media campaign (Facebook & Instagram) to disseminate our resource guide and inform the public on various health topics.

 

 

Research


Current Emerging Pathogens Institute project

The Emerging Pathogens Institute has many ongoing projects to perform COVID-19 testing in at-risk populations. Volunteer opportunities include collecting nasopharyngeal swabs, conducting questionnaires, and consenting research participants. We also have opportunities for students with phlebotomy experience to perform blood draws.


HealthStreet Phone Surveys

Volunteers are needed to call HealthStreet members to complete surveys in order to find out how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting members. This is a 10-minute phone survey to ask people about food insecurity, loneliness, stress, anxiety, depression and their overall needs. Volunteers will have to be added to HealthStreet’s IRB Protocol and will need to complete a brief training. Everything can be done remotely and your phone number will be protected/individuals you call to survey will not see your personal phone number.

 

 

Special Populations


Pediatric Outreach

Outreach to under/un-insured pediatric patients connecting them to pediatric providers in the community. Contact: Hannah Hayward


Balance 180

Create activity and educational videos for the creation of a google classroom for the children and families at the local Balance 180 adaptive gym. Participate in live zoom calls with the children and their families. We are hoping for volunteers with one or more of the following experience or skills:
  • Volunteer experience for the adaptive gymnastics classes at Balance 180
  • Experience volunteering with or teaching children with developmental (cognitive, physical) delays
  • Occupational Therapy student
  • Audiology student
  • Speech Language Pathology student
  • Education or special education student
  • Elementary or working proficiency in American Sign Language
  • Dance, gymnastics or cheer experience

Read for Hope – Recordings for Children in Underdeveloped Communities

Create videos of yourself reading, dancing and/or singing appropriate for children aged 5-13. Videos are being sent primarily to children in South Africa living in underprivileged communities who do not have the resources available to continue school online during the closing of schools due to COVID-19. If interested, please email me before creating any content to receive document with details of what is needed and how to create it.


Farmworker Outreach

Our goal is to address the unique challenges that underserved Alachua County farmworkers face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing them with direct farmside care, testing, triage, and health-related resources. Spanish-speaking volunteers are particularly needed, but all interested volunteers are welcome to help. We are not currently accepting additional volunteers at this time.

 

 

Traditional Public Health


Mobile Testing Unit

Assist with ACHD testing facility including collecting COVID specimens and other testing facility needs


Contact Tracing

Work with ACHD EPI staff to identify and communicate with close contacts of COVID-19 positive individuals


Long-term Care Facility Outreach

Assist ACHD rapid response teams with testing at long-term care facilities in response to identified cases.

 

 

PPE Production/Distribution


COVID-19 Nasal Swab Packaging

Volunteers are needed to help package 3D printed swabs for sterilization. Packaging will take place at UF Health Shands and PPE will be provided and is required to be worn while student volunteers are packaging swabs for sterilization.

Anytime that you can commit is appreciated! Ideally volunteers will be available anytime between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday; however, if you are not able to volunteer during these times please let us know and we will be happy to coordinate another time/day.


PPE Redistribution

Create a PPE task-force for identifying businesses with excess masks, gloves, and eyewear. This task-force will solicit donations from these organizations for redistribution to healthcare workers. We also work towards identifying local manufacturers who wish to coordinate donations.


GNVCOVIDMASK.ORG / Days For Girls Mask Sewing:

Assist in the production of COVID masks and Feminine hygiene kits! (Due to an increase in domestic violence there has been an increase in demand for Feminine hygiene kits by women’s shelters and other agencies.


PPE Collection, Community Mask Distribution, PPE Engineering

 

 

Food Outreach


Gator Grocery Center

Student-run volunteer grocery shopping service that delivers food/goods directly to the homes of UF Health employees.


Free Grocery Store (Civic Media Center)

Volunteers will be asked to deliver groceries to homebound individuals twice weekly on Tuesday and Friday starting around 3 p.m. Deliveries will be grouped based on geographic area (volunteers will be assigned to a specific area of town). Total delivery time may vary based upon supply and demand, but will usually take about 1-2 hours.


Eldercare

Eldercare of Alachua currently has a great need for meal delivery drivers. The program serves breakfast and lunch to ~500 elderly throughout the Alachua county area. As a delivery driver, you will be responsible for transporting 16-20 pre-packaged meals to homes along a designated route. The meals will be ready for pickup at Eldercare of Alachua around 10-10:30 AM Monday through Friday. The time commitment per day is estimated at 2 hours which may vary based on route assignment. Volunteers will be provided with masks each day and required to wear them throughout the delivery process. Many of the recipients will have no-contact deliveries with specific areas for meals to be left such as a basket on the front porch. Eldercare of Alachua is flexible with scheduling and will accept volunteers even with minimal time commitments. Thank you for considering this project, the elderly will certainly be grateful for your service.


Farm Share Food Outreach

Food has been distributed to over 40,000 individuals and 10,000 households through Farm Share events. Their goal is to reach 100,000 by the end of the summer and possibly beyond.