At the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM), one of our primary values is serving our underserved communities in Miami-Dade County. The Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP) is the platform for HWCOM's community-engaged mission. Through this program, medical students serve the community by visiting households in underserved neighborhoods and identifying their needs. Medical students then develop long-term care plans to improve the household members' health and quality of life while addressing social determinants of health. These are conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that can affect their health risks and outcomes. 

HWCOM medical students have organized an annual fundraiser to help support our NeighborhoodHELP households. The focus of our 2021 fundraiser is transportation insecurity. Without transportation, many of these families cannot gain access to simple needs, such as doctor visits and grocery shopping. So, we are raising money for bus passes that will help them get around. 

The event will take place virtually on Saturday, March 13, 2021, using the MoveSpring application. All proceeds will benefit NeighborhoodHELP households by providing them with bus passes for transportation, as bus passes can alleviate this barrier to health care and contribute to HWCOM’s efforts to close the health disparities gap. 

We know that our efforts would go even further if we can count on your support as a participant. Together, we can make a difference in these families' lives! If you are is interested in being a participant of the 2021 NeighborhoodHELP "Walk for Wheels" Fundraiser, please sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neighborhood-help-walk-for-wheels-walk-a-thon-tickets-116651464671?internal_ref=login. Once you sign up, an email will be sent to you with instructions on how to sign up on the MoveSpring Application for the actual event! 

**For more information reach out to us at nhelpfundraiser@gmail.com, follow us on Instagram (@nhelpfundraiser), join our Facebook Event Page (https://fb.me/e/1QLLruDtw), and check out this FIU News article: https://news.fiu.edu/2021/medical-student-fundraiser-addresses-transportation-insecurity-in-underserved-neighborhoods.