On April 1, George Mason University students participated in two service events organized by the College of Public Health to mark the Delta Omega Day of Service as part of National Public Health Week 2024. The Gamma Tau chapter of Delta Omega, the national honor society for public health, is headquartered at Mason. The volunteers, primarily from the Bachelor of Science in Community Health major, were engaged in activities at two campus sites that offer services to students.
Initially, the volunteers gathered at the Patriot Pantry where they were educated about food scarcity among college students and assisted in packing food bags for those in need. The Patriot Pantry provides food and toiletries once a week to any graduate or undergraduate student enrolled in at least one credit per semester, all services completely free of charge. Affiliated with the College and University Food Bank Alliance, the Patriot Pantry is committed to supporting students in need on campus.
Later in the day, additional volunteers spent three hours at the Presidents Park Greenhouse where they harvested rainbow chard and romaine lettuce to be utilized at Ike’s Dining Hall. The greenhouse relies on volunteers who do not have to be connected to Mason. In light of April being Earth Month, several activities and opportunities exist to explore the greenhouse, taste the produce grown, and engage in various sustainability initiatives across campus.
Reflecting on the experience, Lawson Omene, a Community Health major said: “I didn’t know much about the greenhouse on campus before volunteering and it was fun to volunteer and see all of