UC DAVIS | bpshi

DAVIS

This is where it all started. In the winter of 2010, while most shut their doors and turned up the heat, a group of students from the Davis and Sacramento region found an inspiration that would drive them into their communities, to educate, assist, and motivate a movement for change. They saw that members of the Punjabi community were deprived of the knowledge and assistance that would allow them to combat their health problems.

So, taking inspiration from Bhagat Puran Singh, among the greatest of humanitarians, they began their efforts. They first started by arranging health screenings at various gurdwaras in the greater Sacramento region, taking blood pressure and blood glucose readings of patients and educating them on the risks they may face and how an improved diet and activity level can decrease them. These health screenings are now the trademark of BPSHI and underline all that we do today.

As the years have passed each new set of students has built upon this foundation. From establishing relationships with organizations across the region and volunteering with women’s shelters, homeless shelters, and hospitals, UC Davis BPSHI has established itself as a positive force across the greater Sacramento region and beyond. Today, UC Davis BPSHI’s health screenings have expanded beyond solely gurdwaras, to mandirs, masjids, homeless shelters and much more. We organize workshops targeted to women, youth, or the elderly, seeking to fulfill their individual needs. We also hold health seminars to allow our community to get an in-depth understanding of what conditions can commonly afflict them, what they may be ignoring, how to improve, and how to get help. In addition, we have sought to expand our presence on campus as well, and while providing our members with resources to help them in their journey to higher education, we also prioritize spreading awareness of the social injustices that pervade our society and embrace ways to tackle them.

Into the future, BPSHI here at Davis will persist in finding new ways to serve and continuing this journey, just as it started, in the winter of 2010.

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OBJECTIVES

Outreach in the greater Sacramento area and beyond

Reaching out and serving those in need.
We strive to educate our community about chronic diseases and empower individuals to take charge of their own health.
To shed light on human rights issues within our community.

INITIATIVES

Health Seminars: The Health Education committee organizes seminars at various Gurdwaras to educate the community on topics such as nutrition and mental health. Presentations are carried out by local physicians and medical professionals.

4th and Hope Homeless Shelter: Volunteers help the homeless shelter staff prepare and serve hot meals to the local homeless population.

Wellspring Women’s Shelter: Members prepare and serve food.

Pantry Week: The Pantry at UC Davis is a student run organization that provides three free meals or personal items a day for UCD students. Our volunteers stock items and assisting students who come to the Pantry.

Alliance for Justice Week: BPSHI collaborates with several other on-campus organizations to give a week of presentations covering pressing social justice issues for our members and the campus community to partake in. This event served to unite people from many different backgrounds and created a platform for conversations about often ignored but important topics.

Kids presentations: Members of the Health Education committee present at various Sunday schools at Gurdwaras on topics such as nutrition, exercise and bullying.

Valentines for Kids: workshop held for our members to make hand-crafted Valentine’s Day cards for children in the hospital

Dental Hygiene addition to clinics: With the help of a dental assistant, members educate patients on proper dental hygiene practices and teach patients how to floss correctly. Patients also receive floss to take home.

Volunteer at various local runs and races such as the Halloween 5k for Hearing in which BPSHI members assist the race staff with tasks such as traffic control, track monitoring etc.

Classes for sangat members at local gurudwaras focused on various aspects of healthy living such as nutrition and exercise. These informal classes will take place once a week with a different emphasis each session.

ucdavis@bpshi.com