By Courtney Litts, PA-S ‘25
Service to the community is a value held at the center of the PA profession. Every year the ConnAPA Student Committee seeks to honor this commitment by hosting an annual philanthropic effort. In recent years, the student representatives have hosted impactful food and toy drives. This holiday season, the students focused their efforts on collecting toiletries to benefit the non-profit organization Hands on Hartford. Hands on Hartford (HOH) is a social service non-profit organization that serves Hartford’s most economically challenged residents in the areas of food, housing, and health. HOH hosts several programs that provide meals and groceries, security deposit and utility assistance, basic health screenings, nutrition education, employment and education expense assistance, and safe, affordable housing onsite and throughout the Hartford area. HOH’s goal of addressing social determinants of heath align closely with the values of PAs, making them honorable partners in ConnAPA’s effort to promote the welfare of others. HOH identified that their community pantry had a shortage of toiletry items, so the ConnAPA Student Committee sought to address this need.
From November 18th to December 18th, 2024, the ConnAPA Student Representatives challenged the CT PA programs (Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, University of Bridgeport, University of Saint Joseph, Yale, and Yale Online) to collect full-sized toiletries such as toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, razors, laundry detergent, and feminine hygiene products. An impressive 2,594 items were collected in total, which equated to roughly 520 pounds of toiletries. Each program made a significant contribution, and the University of Saint Joseph led the initiative with 1,601 collected items. The impact of these generous donations will be felt by thousands of individuals and families in the greater Hartford area facing economic insecurity.
The ConnAPA Student Committee and Hands on Hartford would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who donated to the 2024 ConnAPA Toiletry Drive. Your kindness and generosity exemplify the true spirit of community. Thank you for helping us bring comfort, dignity, and care to those who need it most.