Students from Stony Brook University's School of Social Welfare (SSW) and School of Dental Medicine (SDM) organized a food distribution event last week to address food insecurity. This issue is frequently observed by both schools and significantly affects the patients at the Dental School.
Three social work students, Jazmine Molina, Heather Bromberg, and Onyekachi Duru, who are interning at SDM, led the initiative. They collaborated with Phi Alpha, the Undergraduate Social Welfare Alliance, and Clinical Lecturer Haylee Hebenstreit to gather food supplies for distribution.
The effort was part of an interprofessional approach where social work students work within dental clinics to tackle social determinants of health. Clinical Assistant Professor Jeanette Lukas supervises these student placements while Associate Professor Kathleen Monahan oversees the Partnerships for Collaborative Education program housed in the School of Dental Medicine.
BSW students Tyer Jehle, Leslie Mejia, Cecelia Yat, Emily Hocker, and Percy Halpern participated in staffing the event. They assisted numerous individuals in accessing food with dignity and respect.
"The event was a huge success in providing for human rights," stated those involved. It also allowed Stony Brook University students to apply their social work values practically.