Nicole Little met with Angela Howard to discuss a collaboration established by the students of Georgia Tech and MedShare International, a nonprofit organization led by CEO Charles Redding, a GT graduate, ChemE, that strives to improve the quality of life of people by rescuing medical supplies that are headed to the landfill in the US (due to insurance and other regulations that require that even unopened supplies be discarded of if they were billed to a procedure).
The opportunity arose when Bob Thomas, Director of Servant Leadership programming at ILSI, suggested to fourth-year International Affairs Student Angela Howard to collaborate with MedShare to assist in getting supplies to Kharkiv, Ukraine. Howard noted that she has been doing a lot of tactical war-level reporting of the area and has seen how critical the medical support we can provide is needed. “It is hard not to want to contribute to the cause,” she stated.
Thomas has recently connected Georgia Tech to Ukrainian relief efforts and believes that this collaboration with MedShare International, which is at the forefront of delivering medical aid to Ukraine from the US - is an example of how collaborative efforts can have an immediate and meaningful impact in crises. MedShare’s expertise in emergency response, paired with actions based on the principles of servant leadership by the GT community, will enable the shipment of a container full of medical devices that are specifically requested by medical facilities in Ukraine.
Howard noted, “this student-led initiative does, in fact, improve the human condition and has a direct impact on those in need in Kharkiv.” The effort also hits on all areas of the strategic plan. The one thing Howard wants to make sure that students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Georgia Tech understand is that this is a specific community we can support through this effort. These medical supplies will greatly help significantly as the temperature drops and winter is steadily approaching. Howard urges, “although monetary donations are not the most appealing, they are the most effective way to support those in need directly.”
Once the $25,000 is met, the container will be air freighted to Kharkiv. On this student-led initiative, we are working with the Stamps Presidential Scholars and MBA alumni to promote this campaign to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Georgia Tech in hopes of raising the necessary funds so the container can be shipped before the end of this year.
For more information on how to support this effort, visit their website.