UMMA Volunteer Project (UVP)

UMMA Volunteer Project (UVP) was founded in 1996 as a volunteer source for the UMMA Community Clinic, a free health clinic established by UCLA graduate and undergraduate students to serve the residents of the South Los Angeles community. Since its opening, UMMA Clinic has served over 30,000 patients, 90% of whom are below the poverty line. UVP has been assisting UMMA Clinic since it's inception and played a crucial role in the clinic's early success by providing a steady group of volunteers to assist at the clinic. UVP allows students the opportunity to volunteer at health fairs, giving them first-hand exposure to the health care field in one of the most underserved regions in the nation. Volunteers also help at the many events in which UMMA Clinic participates, including the Hawthorne Health Fair, Tax Day, Fremont Farmers Market, and Humanitarian Day. To further address the needs of the community, UVP is committed to providing preventative health education to students and patients in South Los Angeles. UVP has established weekly, after-school health and physical education courses at elementary and middle schools in South LA with the aim of promoting healthy living. As part of these courses, students are taught lessons on nutrition and the importance of healthy eating, as well as other health topics. Following each lesson plan are fun and interactive outdoor activities to get the students moving, with the ultimate goal of inspiring a lifelong enjoyment of physical activity. UVP also runs a weekly program for high schoolers in South LA where students learn about contemporary public health issues and present a capstone project on a topic of their choice. The program aims to develop students' research and critical thinking skills and inspire the next generation of leaders in healthcare. In addition to the youth, UVP also aims to educate the adult population of South Los Angeles about various health disorders through the Preventative Health Initiative (PHI). Every week, UVP volunteers spread awareness of initial warning signs, disease prevention, and healthy life-style practices while passing out free food and resources to UMMA Clinic patients and local community members at the Fremont Free Food Fair. These efforts are aimed to curb the prevalence of common health disorders including diabetes, hypertension, and other prevalent conditions. Due to the current pandemic, the Black and communities of color we serve are facing increased discrimination and lack of access to proper care or resources. With our connection to the UMMA Clinic we are hoping to address this prejudice in providing a health clinic that can provide for them without bias towards their race, income or zip code. Join us in making this change.

https://ummavp.weebly.com/
umma.clinic.vol@gmail.com

Signatories: Sumaiya Kaiser, Aarib Shahab, and Sami Siddiqui

Advisor: Maria Anna Salazar Capinpin