Albert Schweitzer Fellowship

CONTACT:

330 Brookline Ave.
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 667-1529
schweitzerfellowship.org

Mollie Wertleib, Program Coordinator

DESCRIPTION:

ASF was founded in 1940, to support Dr. Schweitzer’s hospital in Lambarene, Gabon, when supplies had been cut off by World War II. After his death in 1965, the program continued supporting Lambarene with medical personnel and supplies. In 1991, the Fellowship launched a U.S. program based in Boston. It has provided over 1,000 Fellows and over 200,000 hours of service, to more than 400 health-care projects in underserved communities from Boston to Chicago. The projects are often replicable and sustainable – in Boston, for example, Harvard Dental School students provided oral health education to kids at the Boys and Girls Clubs, and mouthguards for teens in sports clubs. The Fellows take their experiences back to their schools, inspiring other students to volunteer, and helping to create a philanthropic culture at schools that promotes community service. To help sustain this civic spirit, ASF has instituted “Fellows for Life,” an alumni/ae network encouraging continued civic collaborations. In a recent survey, 94% of alumni respondents said that they were still working with disadvantaged populations, and 42% were volunteering. This is good medicine, and you can encourage it with your support.

(2003: HUMAN SERVICES: Health and Aging: General)