Spring 2017 Acts of Love

AUHS nursing students prepare bags of carrots to give to low-income families and needy individuals at the annual Acts of Love on Friday, March 31, 2017.

Proverbs 21:26 “The righteous gives and does not hold back.”

More than 400 people gathered outside of American University of Health Sciences (AUHS) carrying carts, cardboard boxes, backpacks, and reusable shopping bags for the annual Acts of Love on Friday, March 31, 2017. Acts of Love is a community outreach event where AUHS gives free groceries to low-income families, senior citizens on fixed incomes, people with disabilities, and other individuals in need. The event was officially scheduled for 1-3 pm but there were several people who waited in line as early as 5 in the morning.

“We all need help. A lot of us (the attendees) have disabilities and live on fixed incomes. It’s hard to get by, especially at the end of the month,” said Jennifer, who attended Acts of Love for the first time.

Jennifer heard about the event from a friend’s caseworker. She was struggling to make ends meet and decided to participate.

“Living on a fixed income is difficult and sometimes money just doesn’t stretch far enough to cover all the groceries you need for the month,” Jennifer said, “(AUHS) is super awesome. The extra help that they give to the community is a blessing.”

As the crowd outside the gates of the university parking lot continued to grow, AUHS students, faculty and staff were hard at work preparing the carrots, apples, rice, chickens, cans of vegetables, and other food items for their guests. About 40 nursing students volunteered in this quarter’s Acts of Love.

Hundreds gather outside of American University of Health Sciences for the annual Acts of Love on Friday, March 31, 2017.

“This is my first time volunteering for Acts of Love. I’ve been here since 9 am bagging apples, setting up the chairs and tables, and pitching the tents,” said Inell Adams, an AUHS nursing student from Cohort 19, “We (the students) divided everything up to make sure that the people who came here today will get enough food by the time they leave.”

Adams was happy to be given the opportunity to make a difference in the community and believed that volunteering in events such as Acts of Love helped her better understand people from different cultures, backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses.

“I think that the university is doing a great job with helping the community. Nursing is a science and an art. You need to be able to think logically but at the same time, you need to be caring and giving,” Adams said, “Volunteering at these community events teaches us (AUHS students) how to better understand what they (the attendees) need and where they come from so that if they ever end up in a hospital or need treatment, we will know how to better communicate with them as nurses.”

American University of Health Sciences (AUHS) is a private, for-profit, minority owned, minority serving, Christian-based university whose mission is to educate and equip students with life careers and to produce quality health care professionals for the community, the nation, and the world. It is a university where appreciation of life and one’s spiritual reason for existence can be nurtured.  AUHS offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) and a Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR). To request more information, email admissions@auhs.edu or call (562) 988-2278. For the latest news, pictures and videos of American University of Health Sciences’ events, like us on Facebook @auhs.edu and follow us on Twitter @AUHS_Campus and Instagram @auhsedu.