Student Auction Supports New Haven Nonprofits

Bidding on baseball tickets, boat rides, bourbon, and a bowtie were among the highlights of the 31^st annual Hunger and Homelessness Auction (H&H Auction), which Yale School of Medicine (YSM) MD and Physician Associate (PA) students organized. A large number of Yale and New Haven community members gathered in YSM’s Café Med on the evening of January 9 for the live auction, which together with a silent auction, raised about $14,600 to support initiatives of three local nonprofit grantees seeking to alleviate poverty in our community: Liberty Community Services (LCS) Basic Needs Program; Christian Community Action’s (CCA) New Higher Opportunities, Purpose, and Expectation (New HOPE) Housing Program; and Fellowship Place’s (FP) Daytime Drop-in Center.

In welcoming remarks, first-year PA student and H&H Auction Planning Committee member McKenzie Prunier stated, “We receive so much from the New Haven community, and it's our turn to give back.” Prunier organized the event along with fellow committee members: first-year MD student Jeronimo Reyes Olmedo; first-year MD student Kashif Qureshi; first-year PA student Kate Trowbridge; and first-year PA student Emily Zheng.

YSM and Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) faculty, students, and staff donated and bid on items for both the live and silent auction, as well as donated money.

Before the bidding opened, Reyes Olmedo, who chaired the grant committee, described the work of the three grantees, and played a short video, which each nonprofit had created, describing their mission and impact.

LCS serves people in the Greater New Haven Region who are at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness or housing instability. Through their Basic Needs Program, LCS aims to offer immediate relief to the more than 300 members of the community experiencing unsheltered homelessness in New Haven by providing cold weather supplies, such as hand and foot warmers, heavy winter socks, underclothing, gloves, hats, scarves, and emergency food for immediate distribution.

CCA’s New HOPE Housing Program, a collaboration with the Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of New Haven, provides on-site apartment-style housing and supportive services to 18 families for two to three years and aftercare services for up to one year after exiting to permanent housing. Using the grant funds, CCA aims to establish an emergency fund for families’ medical, transportation, and miscellaneous emergency expenses, strengthening efforts to break the cycle of homelessness and help families achieve independence.

FP dedicates itself to serving adults with mental illness by offering a full range of therapeutic support and rehabilitation services to promote independence, wellness, and a meaningful life. Open every day, FP’s Daytime Drop-in Center for unsheltered and unhoused individuals focuses on providing access to basic needs, such as free and well-balanced meals, showers, laundry facilities, and a safe place to stay during the day, when most local shelters are closed.

During the welcoming remarks, Qureshi expressed the organizers’ appreciation for the four volunteer auctioneers: Director of the Physician Associate Program David Brissette, MMSc, PA-C; Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology) Mark Mercurio, MD, MA; Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Medicine) David Rosenthal, MD; and Associate Professor of Surgery (Gross Anatomy) William (Bill) Stewart, PhD. “Together, these four remarkable individuals embody the values of service, innovation, and advocacy that are at the heart of this event,” stated Qureshi.

Throughout the evening, the auctioneers used high-energy humor to encourage competitive bidding, and the generosity of the YSM community was on display at the auction. The winning bid for Stewart’s bow-tie—a traditionally highly-coveted auction item, which this year had a skull and bones design—was $1500. In another example, after there was a winning bidder for two one-hour knitting lessons with Professor of Pediatrics (General Pediatrics) Ada Fenick, MD, plus $30 of knitting supplies, Fenick called out “Do it again!,” offering her donation for a second time, enabling the event to raise more money.

Trowbridge shared that she became financial chair because, “I wanted to ensure every dollar raised made the biggest possible impact. This role showed me firsthand the generosity of our community and what we are able to accomplish when working together to support those in need. It was truly an honor to contribute to bringing critical resources to those who need them most.”

The other committee members share her passion. Reyes Olmedo explained that when he arrived in New Haven and to the Yale campus, “the stark contrast between the wealth and privilege of the institution and the countless unhoused people on the streets, on the New Haven Green, and hidden away from the public eye was sobering.” Therefore, he continues, “When I read the email asking for volunteers to help organize the auction, I felt a moral obligation to sign up, as this would be an actionable way to help redistribute funds and resources from the Yale community to those who most needed them.” He adds, “While, in the grand scheme, it was a relatively small action, I am proud of the objective good the auction will help to realize, and I will go forward evermore motivated to continue seeking to empower, learn from, and work alongside the diverse members of this community.”

Kashif shared that, “Taking on the role initially felt overwhelming with so much happening in med school. But then I realized that if a bit of digital running around and coordination could mean someone gets a warm meal or clothes, I knew I had to do it. That understanding made every moment of work feel truly meaningful.”

Similarly, Zheng says that when she learned about the auction, “I knew I wanted to get involved in making this event as successful as possible,” adding, “I’m really proud of my amazing co-chairs, volunteers, and everyone who supported this wonderful cause. Seeing our community come together for a fun night of bidding and fundraising was incredibly rewarding, and I would do it again in a heartbeat!"

Prunier echoed this enthusiasm and gratitude, "Being part of this year's Hunger and Homelessness Auction committee has been one of the highlights of my time as a Yale PA student. It was inspiring to learn about the work done by these organizations to create long-term positive change in New Haven. We are so grateful to the YSM community for their generous support."