Students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) started the new academic year by learning the importance of giving back to their community.
During the school’s annual Day of Service on July 27, more than 260 first- and second-year students performed volunteer work at 16 locations in Lewisburg and other parts of Greenbrier County. Students cleaned stables and leveled gravel at the grounds of the State Fair of West Virginia, organized books for an upcoming book fair at Greenbrier County Public Library, built planter boxes the West Virginia State Police will use to create a community garden, and assisted with parade direction, prize tables and games at the Williamsburg Community Fair, among other activities.
Jayden Dailey, a student in WVSOM’s Class of 2027 who helped organize the event as the school’s Student Government Association Translating Osteopathic Understanding into Community Health (T.O.U.C.H.) coordinator, said the Day of Service not only provides future osteopathic physicians with valuable insights into West Virginia’s patient population, but allows students to give back to the communities that support the school.
“This deeply inspiring event unites the student body and the local community,” Dailey said. “Volunteering creates a ripple effect, enhancing lives, fostering connections and contributing to the greater good in ways that extend beyond the task at hand. This year, each student’s contribution made a meaningful difference, embodying WVSOM’s mission.”
Through the T.O.U.C.H. program, students at osteopathic medical schools engage in community service for the purpose of expanding the osteopathic ideals and principles to those unaware of its professional values. Participants are recognized for reaching different levels of volunteer hours in a given academic year.
At the Greenbrier Humane Society, students cleaned animal cages and walked and bathed dogs. They installed signage along the Greenbrier River Trail and tended to a community garden at Montwell Commons. Volunteers also worked at several Greenbrier County churches, where they cleaned, painted structures and performed yard work.
Dawn Roberts, Ed.D., WVSOM’s associate dean for multicultural and student affairs, said she was pleased to see so many students contributing to nonprofits and other organizations that needed assistance with physical labor.
“I’m proud of our students for their outstanding participation. They demonstrated remarkable dedication and compassion by volunteering their time and skills. The enthusiasm shown by everyone involved has made a lasting positive impact on our community,” Roberts said.
Organizations that received assistance through the Day of Service were: Greenbrier Christian Retreat, in Crawley; Children’s Home Society of West Virginia and the State Fair of West Virginia, in Fairlea; the Child and Youth Advocacy Center, Davis Stuart, Greenbrier County Public Library, Greenbrier Humane Society, Lewisburg Baptist Church, Lewisburg United Methodist Church, Montwell Commons and the West Virginia State Police, in Lewisburg; Clifton Presbyterian Church, in Maxwelton; the Greenbrier River Watershed, in Renick; Trinity United Methodist Church, in Ronceverte; Emmanuel United Methodist Church, in White Sulphur Springs; and Williamsburg Community Fair, in Williamsburg.
