CAREs Community Champions embody the best of Penn Medicine
Seven CAREs Community Champions were recently honored for extraordinary service.
Single acts of community service can start like a lone drop of water flowing into a vast ocean. Taken together, those acts can inspire a tidal wave of gratitude.
The Penn Medicine CAREs grant program is a shining example of how collective support for individual service projects can drive inspiring outcomes.
More than 100 participants from the Penn Medicine CAREs grant program recently joined their colleagues and University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) CEO Kevin B. Mahoney to celebrate their dedication and commitment, as well as honor seven CAREs recipients who went above and beyond.
Digging in to giving back
The Penn Medicine CAREs program provides institutional support for employees and medical students who volunteer their time to support neighborhoods across the region served by UPHS.
Founded in 2012, the CAREs grant program was developed to recognize and support that work, while at the same time helping local organizations who continue to find ways to address unmet community needs. The program has provided over $1.4 million to initiatives in the communities Penn Medicine serves, including in Philadelphia, Lancaster, Chester County, and southern and central New Jersey, including the Princeton area. This year, with the addition of Doylestown Health as part of Penn Medicine, several recent grants have been awarded for efforts in Bucks County.
At the annual CAREs grant reception, Mahoney recognized seven projects that stood out as CAREs Community Champion Award winners. The honor is given annually to programs funded by the Penn Medicine CAREs grants that have shown exceptional growth and outcomes. The seven winners represent a cross-section of service that stretched across the health system.
“The work you do within our health system is extraordinary, but what you carry to your neighbors is how healing reaches beyond the walls of Penn Medicine,” Mahoney said. “From hospital to hometown, you’re helping to build something lasting in the lives we’ve touched, the care we’ve given, and the futures we’ve transformed.”
Choosing CAREs community champions
CAREs Community Champions are chosen from previous CAREs grant recipients and then scored based on volunteer history and partnership with organization and community; quality and expressed need of program; program growth and outcomes; and increased Penn Medicine engagement beyond the grant.
“It’s really a testament to the spectrum of dedicated people we have at Penn Medicine that so many CAREs recipients went above and beyond the original charge of their awards,” added Laura Kim, associate director, Community Relations, who leads the CAREs program. “They embody that mission everywhere they go.”
The CAREs Community Champions for 2025 encompass efforts that truly go above and beyond, supporting efforts in classrooms and churches, and from gardens to labs.
A Doylestown Health physician who volunteers with a community clinic
For more than 25 years, the Ann Silverman Community Health Clinic has provided free medical, dental, and social services to low-income, uninsured families in Bucks County. The work is accomplished using full- and part-time staff along with more than 280 volunteer doctors, dentists, nurses, nurse practitioners, counselors, translators, and clerical helpers who donate their time. Among those volunteers is Erica Crane, MD, a hospitalist physician with Penn Medicine Doylestown Health. Her expertise addresses persistent disparities in maternal and reproductive health outcomes among women in the underserved communities the clinic serves.
A Lancaster General Health nurse practitioner supporting equine therapy for veterans
For eight years, Kara Garber, CNRP, a nurse practitioner with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, has served on the board of Building Bridges Foundation, located in southern Lancaster County. Its mission is to provide a safe space for personal growth through equine-assisted activities for veterans and their families, for those suffering from trauma and loss, and for those struggling with cognitive and emotional challenges.
A community health worker helping veterans mentor youth for violence prevention
Since 2018, IMPaCT, a Penn Center for Community Health Workers program, has run a support group called The Renegades for veterans receiving care through the Veterans Administration, helping them manage chronic illness and social isolation. Currently led by Anthony Davis, lead community health worker at The Penn Center for Community Health Workers, the group meets year-round, hosts community outings, and recently launched a mentorship program with middle-school boys from Bluford Charter School in response to gun violence. Davis’ funds will support these activities and events, guided by the group’s motto: Iron sharpens iron.
Supporting vulnerable populations at St. Agnes Church
For the past three years, Sharon Larson, RN, MSN, CMSRN, CPAN, a perioperative clinical educator Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital, has been volunteering with the health center at Saint Agnes Church, helping low-income and uninsured residents of West Chester. With breakfast and hot lunch served Monday through Friday, the Healthy Baby Program, employment assistance, financial aid, and health and wellness support with advocacy and referral for care, Saint Agnes provides a safety net to the most vulnerable of the community.
Students closing the educational equity gap in STEM
Driven by a CAREs grant secured by PSOM student Jacob Kim, Road2Research (R2R) is a student-led initiative committed to closing the educational equity gap by providing underserved high school students in Philadelphia with early, hands-on exposure to scientific research. Through engaging lab experiences—like running PCR machines, performing gel electrophoresis, and conducting dissections—R2R sparks curiosity and builds confidence in young scientists. The program also introduces students to potential careers in STEM, helping them envision a future in the sciences. Funding from the Penn Medicine CAREs grant and Community Champion Award will directly support the purchase of lab supplies, ensuring a successful and enriching semester for all participants.
Connecting teens and seniors to health care resources
Meducate is a student-led nonprofit that focuses on educating teens, adults, and seniors about medical conditions and health care. In Princeton, there is a lack of community-based health education, particularly regarding preventive care, mental health, managing chronic disease, and making healthy lifestyle decisions. The funds, secured by Megha Pandya, assistant manager of rehab services with Penn Medicine Princeton Health, will support the group's current campaign—of which Megha Pandya is a part.
Expanding the health care safety net in West Philadelphia
The nonprofit University City Hospitality Coalition (UCHC) is comprised of volunteer medical students and physicians who offer safety-net care in West Philadelphia. For decades, it has been a vital resource for that community, providing meals, social support, and a student-run free clinic. Jake Shapira, a second-year medical student pursuing an MD-PhD degree, who coordinates the funding and supplies for the clinic, has used his Penn Medicine CAREs grant to buy supplies for ongoing patient care, including pharmacy items and diabetes test strips.
A fundamental part of the Penn Medicine Experience
The honors are especially poignant as the health system celebrates Penn Medicine Experience Week (PMX), dedicated to recognizing the impact of staff across the health system and reinforcing the organization’s culture. This annual tradition highlights the people, practices, and stories that embody the Penn Medicine Experience, providing a moment to reflect on the culture and values Penn Medicine employees build together live every day—Compassionate, Present, Empowered, Collaborative, Accountable, and with Cultural Humility.
In addition, Mahoney announced the decision to direct an additional $50,000 in health system investment to the CAREs program, bringing annual support to $300,000 to fund projects benefiting communities—the second consecutive year he has raised the program’s annual funding.
“The additional support from the health system for the CAREs grant is amazing! It’s a testament that service to our local communities is an institutional priority backed by leadership,” Kim said. “Particularly leading up to Penn Medicine Experience Week, this is a celebration of our workforce, and the CAREs grant represents the best of Penn Medicine.”