Nora Mulloy, a Midwestern University medical student, is providing homeless teen mothers from the city’s South and West sides with individualized health education and parenting skills development at The Night Ministry’s shelter for pregnant and parenting youth.  

Her project focuses on the importance of a healthy parent-child bond as the most critical buffer against the many stresses poverty inflicts on growing brains and bodies.  Literacy behaviors like reading, coloring, and singing are a low-cost, high-yield tool to not only strengthen this bond, but also to set children up for success when they enter school.  Research has shown that by the time a low-income child is four years old, she will have heard thirty million fewer words spoken than her peers from more affluent families.  Currently, the shelter has a very small quantity of books, most of which are well worn.  Nora seeks to raise $500 to purchase children’s books to fill a bookcase for the shelter’s play area, as well as to supply each child who stays at the shelter with one book of their own to keep.

The Schweitzer Fellowship is a year-long service learning program for graduate students in health-related professions who will design and implement innovative direct service projects aimed at improving the health and well-being of underserved Chicago area communities. Through their community projects and participation in a year-long program that includes mentoring support, monthly meetings, written reflection, and interprofessional collaboration, Schweitzer Fellows are developing the skills and confidence needed to become Leaders in Service—professionals who will remain dedicated to public service and to creating change.

In July 2014, the Schweitzer Fellows for Life network launched Summer Fest 2014 a year-long campaign to help support our current Fellows' projects. Each of the Fellows has created a "wish list" of supplies and resources that will help them realize their service project goals.