Students of the Health Occupation Students Of America club (HOSA) are constantly at work in local communities in an effort to learn about providing skill and leadership opportunities for its members. On Oct. 16, several HOSA students went to the Tarrant Area Food Bank and spent several hours volunteering in their quality control room.

“Being surrounded by not only dozens of crates of food, but also the knowledge that for every crate, there were dozens more children who would go hungry instilled in us gratitude and a yearning to make a difference,” said HOSA President Pavithra Gopalakrishnan.

As a group, they helped sort, inspect and pack a total of 6,196 lbs of food during their shift, making approximately 5,163 meals for struggling families within the community.

“Honestly, it’s so refreshing to be surrounded by people who share your career interests,” said sophomore Emily Burkholder. “It’s a way to get to know people easily while getting opportunities to get a closer look into the medical field.”

Additionally, the raffle winner from the Oct. 29 health fair has been announced, ticket number 5289244. If they have not already, the winner should see Pamela Mallory in C206 for their prize.

HOSA members plan to help the community further through their upcoming blood drive in partnership with Carter BloodCare.