GSU STUDENT-ATHLETES LEND HAND AT OPEN HAND ATLANTA
ATLANTA - Student-athletes from four different Georgia State teams have
volunteered to lend a helping hand and support to sick children through Open
Hand Atlanta. With a goal of more than
4,000 hours combined this year by all the GSU athletics teams, these visits
pushed the total to more than 2,500 hours since school began in late August.
Open Hand Atlanta is a non-profit organization that has a mission
to help prevent or better manage chronic disease through Comprehensive
Nutrition CareTM.
To combat chronic disease,
Open Hand delivers meals to member's homes and provides nutrition
education. There are plenty of ways to
help out Open Hand; home deliveries, donations and food packaging are just a
few.
"Working at Open Hand with my teammates was a great
experience. The faculty made us feel really special that we came and very
thankful for our help," said GSU softball player Paige Nowacki. "It was a great
experience and I would love to go back and help out more."
Every Monday and occasional Fridays, members of the GSU football
team visit with Open Hand to help package food to be delivered.
As it stands, members of the football, softball, women's golf and women's
tennis team have all visited Open Hand to help them out with their daily load.
"The
Lazarus House community service the team participated in, took place on a
street that was closed off in order to provide homeless people and any
individual lacking necessary means to come out and receive some
support, said GSU cross country runner Andrea Rodriguez. There were several
tents set up on the street, and each station focused on something different.
There was one station where individuals could get a basic health check from
nurses and doctors, as well as be able to ask any health provider any questions
of interest or concern. The team talked, laughed, played, and danced
with the people we were fortunate enough to come into contact with that day."