Fraser HOSA (Health Occupation Student Association) Future Health Professionals this season are hosting a blanket drive. In addition to collecting clean blankets, the organization is also collecting washcloths and towels. These items are to be dropped off in the main office or in the media center. These items will be donated to the homeless in Detroit.

“This is our first year hosting the blanket drive,” Mrs. Marti VanEenenaam-Iwanicki said, the HOSA adviser.

The HOSA chair people said that they did not have a specific goal for the blanket drive. It was just as many items as possible. Aside from the blanket drive, HOSA members are making fleece blankets for the children at CS Mott Children’s Hospital.

“Our goal for the children’s hospital was 20 blankets. For the homeless, it was just as many as possible,” Madison Nassar said, one of the chair people in HOSA.

When asking the chair people why they wanted to join this specific organization, the girls came up with thoughtful answers and were interesting to hear.

“I heard about it last year and I’ve always wanted to go into the medical field. I also wanted to participate in the blood drive,” Liz Mikolajek said, another chair person in HOSA.

Other reasons to join the group were meaningful to Nassar.

“I want to go into the medical field, and I’m a diabetic. I also had Mrs. V for seminar,” Nassar said.

The event is being well-recognized, and people are donating many blankets that will help people in need. This event was the first time HOSA worked with the homeless.

“This is the first time we’ve worked with the homeless,” Mrs. Marti VanEenenaam-Iwanicki said.
“The drive was originally only going to accept blankets but has since extended to washcloths and towels.”

“It started out as trying to help out the children at the Children’s Hospital and extended to the homeless. It also extended from blankets to washcloths,” Naasar said.

The blankets, washcloths, and towels will all be distributed to the homeless people of Detroit, but how?

“Jeremiah Chappelle, who works with Detroit Rescue Missions, drives around Detroit and gives the homeless people blankets or washcloths,” Nassar said.