Tulane medical students fill food boxes at Second Harvest

The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) emphasizes the human connection in healthcare. GHHS has more than 180 chapters in medical schools nationwide, including a chapter at Tulane University School of Medicine. Members of Tulane’s chapter recently volunteered with Second Harvest Food Bank in New Orleans, a chance to give back to the community that taught them so much during their time in medical school. 

“As medical students, we’re taught that maintaining good health involves eating well and exercising,” said Ajibola Bakare, a fourth-year medical student. “However, we recognize that healthy eating is not always an accessible choice for many in our community due to socioeconomic barriers, including food deserts.” 

The Tulane students helped pack food for elderly community members during their shifts. A 2024 report from the New Orleans Council on Aging showed that more than 10,000 older people in Orleans Parish are food insecure. More than 4,000 of those seniors have very low food security, meaning they skip meals to cover basic needs like medicine or housing. 

Second Harvest provides food and support to 500+ community partners and programs across 23 Louisiana parishes, and volunteers are vital to the organization’s efforts.  

The volunteer day also allowed Tulane students to practice another GHHS mission: mentorship. 

“We worked alongside high school students and engaged in meaningful conversations about their future career plans, both within and outside of medicine,” said Bakare. “By the end of our volunteer experience, we were all deeply grateful for the chance to serve and the connections we strengthened with the community we’ve called home for four years.”