UT student organization collecting donations for Flint

February 24, 2016 | Events, UToday, Medicine and Life Sciences
By Amanda Benjamin



People across the country have given donations to help the residents of Flint, Mich., after their water was contaminated by lead. This tragedy has spurred a student organization at The University of Toledo into action.

The Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician Assistants is collecting monetary and water donations for the American Red Cross to help supply Flint residents with clean water.

PA_Student_Patch_2009Monetary donations are preferred and will go toward buying filters and bottled water, according to Nick Parodi, director of external affairs for the Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

“We know how significant a problem this is for the people of Flint,” said Parodi, a student in UT’s Physician Assistant Program. “It’s very much the right thing to do.”

The Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician Assistants has received help from the Muslim Students Association, as well as the Jacobs Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center.

Parodi also would like to organize opportunities for UT students to volunteer with the Red Cross in Flint.

“I know the UT community well,” said Parodi, who completed his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at the University. “The passion really exists. The students care. The faculty care. The innate empathy we have for our fellow citizens is one of the core tenants of the UT mission — helping others.”

Those interested in donating to the cause or volunteering in Flint can contact Parodi at nicholas.parodi@rockets.utoledo.edu.

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