Augusta University third-year students Siri Jangam, Arya Ranchod and Sreya Durvasula were extremely amazed at the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
All three went home to the Atlanta area the night before the hurricane hit the Augusta area. The morning after, they saw the level of destruction online as they tried to reconnect with friends left behind.
“No one was prepared for the power outages or lack of food,” Jangam said. “When we went home everything looked normal, and then we started seeing the pictures of the impact on the Summerville campusthe trees down, the power outages – it was scary to think that something like this just happened here.”
Durvasula and Ranchod agreed that the images were shocking and unthinkable because Augusta “gets the warnings, but never the storm.”
Augusta University third-year students Siri Jangam, Arya Ranchod and Sreya Durvasula spent a week collecting items to distribute to those in need, such as non-perishable food, bottled water and cleaning supplies.
All three of those students are in the Professional study programs with a focus on the Medical Scholars Program, were grateful to be safe, but immediately thought about what they could do to help their adopted community.
They joined several high schools in the Atlanta area and spent a week collecting items to donate, including non-perishable food, bottled water, feminine products, toothbrushes, toothpaste and cleaning products. In total, they collected 200 pounds of supplies and more than $300, which they used to purchase more supplies.
The group handed out items on October 17 and October 22 at the Bank of America Plaza on the Campus Health Sciences. All other items were donated to AUs Open Paws food pantry.
Durvasula said it was scary to see the storm in a place they have called home for the past three years, and she knows it will take a while to recover from its impact. She said anything they can do in the short term will help them along the way.
The three, who share a podcast called “Off the Rails” where they talk about their college experiences, heeded the words of the AU president Russell T. Keen about persevering and working together as a community. The donation is their way of giving back to a community that has embraced them and contributed to their student lives.
Arya Ranchod, Siri Jangam and Sreya Durvasula collected items to share with fellow Augusta University students following Hurricane Helene.
“We were like, ‘What can we do to help?’” Ranchod said. “There were so many people struggling to get home, and people are still dealing with the consequences. There are a lot of people who have trouble getting to class, and that affects their education.”
“It’s a privilege to be able to give something back; I know so many people who have been affected,” Jangam said. “So many of our friends, classmates and professors were affected by this, and we really wanted to be able to give back.”
This article originally appeared in Augusta Chronicle: Augusta University students help with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts