Our initiatives involve longitudinal activities outside the hospital walls to improve engagement with the community. This immersive blend of experiences serves to empower our department to thoughtfully address community needs and help build stronger relationships with our community partners.
![Beacon - Emergency Medicine Volunteers Beacon - Emergency Medicine Volunteers](https://cdn.bcm.edu/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_component_image_standard/public/2022-03/beacon-emergency-medicine.jpg?itok=xzzYsTjK)
The Beacon
The Beacon is a non-profit organization that serves individuals experiencing homelessness by providing daily services, civil legal aid, counseling and mentoring and housing case management. Their mission is to provide essential and next-step services to restore hope and help end homelessness in Houston.
![Houston Food Bank - Emergency Medicine Volunteers Houston Food Bank - Emergency Medicine Volunteers](https://cdn.bcm.edu/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_component_image_standard/public/2022-03/houston-food-bank-emergency-medicine.jpg?itok=6lz-5w12)
Houston Food Bank
The Houston Food Bank distributes food and other essentials to those in need through a network of more than 1,600 community partners. They also provide programs and services aimed at helping families achieve long-term stability including nutrition education, job training, health management, and help in securing state-funded assistance.
![Chavez High School Dr. Mike Stewart and Dr. Joe Iluore met with students at Chavez High School in Houston to discuss their paths to medicine.](https://cdn.bcm.edu/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_component_image_standard/public/2022-05/Chavez-High-School.png?itok=Ywq-WF_f)
César E. Chávez High School
The mission of Chavez High School, an International Baccalaureate World School, is to inspire and support compassionate, respectful, lifelong learners who value cultural diversity and are supported academically, socially, and emotionally.
![Volunteers holding bookbags full of supplies while standing amidst dozens more bags.](https://cdn.bcm.edu/sites/default/files/styles/scaled_image_without_crop/public/2023-03/lockhart-elementary-school-supply-drive.png?itok=HblCf18O)
Lockhart Elementary School Supply Drive
With contributions from residents, staff, and faculty, the department raised over $2,000 and provided about 60 bookbags stuffed with school supplies for every 1st grader at Lockhart Elementary in August of 2022.
![A graphic illustration of Martin Luther King, Jr. advertising the MLK Day of Service.](https://cdn.bcm.edu/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_component_image_standard/public/2023-03/mlk-day-of-service.png?itok=sq-miMox)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Henry JN Taub Department of Emergency Medicine partnered with The Beacon to host a Day of Service on Jan. 19, 2023. A total of $1,890 in department donations was raised while also providing services to patients experiencing homelessness.