What began as a simple idea to support local children in the community grew into a powerful display of compassion and service at PCOM South Georgia.
The Pediatrics Club and the Student Council for Campus & Community Partnerships (SCCCP) joined forces to host a heartwarming Toy & Bike Drive for Step N’ Stones Autism Academy and Therapy Services, a longtime community partner for the College.
With the help of the Dermatology Club, Sisters in Medicine SGA, DO Council, Doctors Without Borders and the Boys & Girls Club of Moultrie–Colquitt County, this collective effort made a lasting impact on local children and families. Together, the groups demonstrated what it means to serve with compassion by donating toys, bicycles and outdoor play equipment to the students of Step N’ Stones.
“Partnerships like this remind us that health care starts long before someone walks into a hospital,” said Ty'Tiaunna Thomas (DO '28), co-chair of SCCP. “It starts with how we connect, listen and support families where they are.”
Kayla Hasty (DO '28) co-chair of SCCP echoed Thomas's sentiments. “Service isn't just what we do, it's who we become when we choose to show up for others,” she shared. “Even the smallest acts of giving and support can build the brightest futures because compassion with action can create change that lasts a lifetime.”
Since launching the partnership with Step N' Stones Autism Academy and Therapy Services last year, SCCCP has worked to support the Academy's mission through meaningful community service. When students noticed a need for more outdoor activities and supplies, they responded with action—rallying classmates and local partners to donate bikes, scooters, soccer balls and goals, tennis nets and rackets, footballs, bubbles, chalk and more.
“These gifts represent far more than play for the kids—they offer freedom, joy and inclusivity, " said Blessed Jordan (DO '28), president of the Pediatrics Club. “And for our students, they serve as a reminder that great medicine begins with understanding the people and communities we serve.”
Jennifer Jenkins, EdD, director of the Office of Campus and Community Partnerships at PCOM South Georgia shared her pride in seeing such commitment to community outreach from her students. “They are showing what it truly means to care, not just in clinics and hospitals, but wherever there is a need.”
In 2019, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a premier osteopathic medical school established in 1899, extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing PCOM South Georgia. An additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, PCOM South Georgia offers both a full, four-year medical program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. PCOM is a private, not-for-profit institution that trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields. Joining PCOM Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, PCOM South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the region. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 229-668-3110.
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Gabrielle DePietro
Associate Director, News and Media Relations
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: gabrielde2@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6304
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