After proving their competence in clinics, hospitals, offices and classrooms, they put their ideals into action after hours on the local, national and global stage. At the Dean’s Community Service Awards celebration on Sept. 12, five honorees were lauded for volunteer efforts that better the lives of others.
At breakfast around a conference table in the Waterhouse Room on the HMS Quad, awardees exchanged stories about educating orphans in an impoverished African nation and raising funds for a library for the people of Boston.
“We are gathered here to salute you,” said Dean Jeffrey S. Flier, “as creative and tireless leaders within our School community; as selfless innovators in advancing our mission of outreach and service; and as activists and ambassadors who truly are beyond compare in campaigning for better health—and better life—right here in Boston, and around the world.”
With trophies for the recipients and framed certificates for their community agencies, Flier thanked the honorees advancing the mission of HMS, which includes not only education and research, but also public service. The School contributed $1,000 to the organizations for which they volunteer.
Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership Joan Reede, whose office has sponsored the awards since 1999, put the group’s efforts into perspective.
“In today’s uncertain and often trying times, community service is more important than ever,” Reede said. “This service comes in many forms, and one’s contributions need not be heroic or hugely financial in scope; it is about giving of your time, your talents, and making a difference.”
In the intimate setting, surrounded by their invited guests, they shared the profound impact of their experiences on their lives and outlook. “It has been my privilege to give back to the children,” said Faculty Award honoree Richard Bail. “Every time I look into their eyes, it makes it all worthwhile.”
HonoreesLifetime Achievement: Jennifer Kasper, instructor in pediatrics at MassGeneral Hospital for Children, has worked with Doctors for Global Health for more than 15 years. The all-volunteer nongovernmental organization creates comprehensive global health curricula and experiential learning sites overseas for pediatric residents.
Faculty Award: Richard Bail, clinical instructor in population medicine at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, is the co-founder of Communities without Borders, which provides educational opportunities to orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia.
Trainee Award: Brandon Abbs, research fellow in psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, advocates for library resources through People of Boston for a Better Library.
Student Award: Ari Johnson is a co-founder of Project Muso Ladamunen, which works with mothers in Mali to help them to free themselves from the cycle of poverty and disease.
Staff Award: LeManuel “Lee” Bitsoi, MAP program director, devotes his energies to the North American Indian Center of Boston, which promotes greater self determination, socioeconomic self-sufficiency and empowerment for the North American Indian community.
