Students from the medical school - along with those from the schools of dentistry, law, nursing, pharmacy, public health and social work - spent their Thanksgiving giving back this year at a November 23 dinner for the homeless in West Baltimore. This is the 17^th year the students have done the meal, which was served at the Booker T. Washington Middle School on McCulloh St.

The dinner, called Project Feast, is a Thanksgiving tradition sponsored by the University of Maryland, Baltimore; the University Student Government Association; the Medical Alumni Association and the School of Medicine's Student Council. It provides turkey meals with all the traditional side dishes for over 400 people.

Richard Colgan, MD, professor in the School of Medicine, brought several members of his family to staff the beverage table. The Colgans were joined by another family from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine that has been coming for several years. Dr. Colgan had nothing but compliments for the  students and their organization of the event.

Robert Lane, one of the recipients of the meal, said he has returned for several years and was grateful for the dinner and the opportunity "to see old friends, walk around and talk with people."

Another attendee, Donald Price, comes annually and said, "This is good for the people in the neighborhood. This is a good program by the students."

"Because we are so blessed to be part of the medical community and be students at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, we need to give back because we are very, very lucky and blessed," said Elizabeth Smelter, a second-year student in the School of Medicine and one of the organizers of Project Feast.

Students also distributed clothing, toiletry and non-perishable goods that had been collected across the campus.

To view a six minute video of the news coverage and pictures of this event, click here.
(Real Player is required.)