Public Health Fair Forges Relationships with Wacoans Experiencing Homelessness
It is what one professor calls a moving sight: Baylor University students on their hands and knees, serving unsheltered individuals in Waco, by washing their feet—just as Christ washed the feet of his disciples. It is a public surrender to service and an act of pure humility, all stemming from an enduring partnership forged between Baylor’s Department of Public Health and Waco’s Church Under the Bridge.
Each academic semester, the Public Health Fair takes place underneath the Interstate 35 overpass near Baylor’s campus—utilizing the same unassuming concrete where Church Under the Bridge holds outdoor worship services on Sundays to bring together Wacoans who may be facing socioeconomic barriers. The fair’s outreach serves two purposes. First, it is an opportunity for Waco’s underserved residents to gain vital information about their own health, and second, it provides real-world immersive learning through a blend of academics and service for Public Health students.
Beth Lanning, PhD, MCHES, Associate Chair, Professor, and Director of the Master of Public Health (MPH) in Community Health Science program, said the idea for the Public Health Fair was sparked 16 years ago through her conversations with Jimmy Dorrell, co-founder and pastor of Church Under the Bridge. The two wanted to find a way to address the health issues the city’s unsheltered population was facing. Today, as the partnership flourishes, Lanning and Dorrell agree its longevity has been key.
“The ongoing and lasting impact is a ‘win-win’ for all those involved,” Dorrell said. “Our friends under the bridge continue to learn from caring students how to increase healthy lifestyles, identify barriers they are facing, and seek resources for help. Baylor students get to meet people who are experiencing poverty or living without a home in a very personal way, and that often impacts the trajectory of their lives and the way they see those in need.”
Texas has a 14% poverty rate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which is above the national average. Waco exceeds the state’s average, with 24% of people living below the poverty level. This often results in a lack of healthcare services and permanent housing, and according to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, people who experience chronic homelessness have an average lifespan 12 years shorter than the general population. Some of the fatal health issues that disproportionately affect the unsheltered include diabetes, heart disease, mental illness, and substance use disorder.
“Our students walk away with an updated understanding that individuals, no matter their current circumstance, are all human beings and they each have their own important stories to share.”
Elizabeth Kwon, PhD
Elizabeth Kwon, PhD, Assistant Professor, plans the spring fair with students enrolled in her Introduction to Public and Population Health class. Together, they spend an entire semester preparing—first conducting broad research on a chosen topic and then using that information to tailor it for the target population in Waco. Ultimately, the students design interactive booths to educate their unsheltered neighbors about important health topics and local resources. Hygiene kits are distributed, made possible with supplies donated from organizations on campus, and McLennan Community College’s Medical Laboratory Technician program provides workstations to collect and process blood specimens for general health analysis.
“It gave me a glimpse into what a future in public health can look like. It’s one thing to learn about health education, theories, or models, but it’s another thing to be in your community seeking to work alongside individuals who can greatly benefit from these services,” senior Julianna Carlson, a Public Health student, said. “It made it more clear for me—a lot of times people just want to be heard, and we can be that person who listens and sees them right where they are. The health fair allowed first-hand narratives from people who are disadvantaged by the system, and I began to better understand the true stories of so many in this population.”
The Public Health Fair is open for all to serve, regardless of any affiliation with the Department. Public Health students first participate during their freshman year, and because of the experience, many choose to volunteer throughout their remaining semesters at Baylor. While Lanning and Kwon agree that the hands-on experience is beneficial through an academic lens, it also introduces students to something they could never learn in a classroom—empathy.
“We can’t teach that in a class, we just can’t,” Lanning said. “However, this event allows our students to step out of their comfort zones, providing an opportunity to learn what life is like, personally, through stories shared by those who show up for resources.”
Over the years, both professors have noticed that many students initially seem apprehensive before the fair, which is likely due to a lack of opportunities to interact with individuals who are experiencing homelessness. This, they say, tends to perpetuate societal stigmatization. However, by the end of the fair, students often experience a shift in perspective.
“Our students walk away with an updated understanding that individuals, no matter their current circumstance, are all human beings and they each have their own important stories to share,” Kwon said. “We truly get more out of it than we give. This is why we open the fair up to all Baylor students, not just those enrolled in the Department. We love when they join us, especially for washing the feet of the unsheltered.”
The foot-washing booth is a permanent part of the Public Health Fair, and many students consider it to be the most impactful and spiritual opportunity of the day. The delicate interaction helps cultivate space for students to form relationships with their unsheltered neighbors, allowing time to ask questions and truly listen to an individual’s story, all while acting as the “hands and feet of Christ.” For senior Stephen Sims, who has led the booth, it remains the best experience he has had at Baylor.
“Washing my neighbor’s feet was a very personable experience, and I can’t recommend it enough for other students. It is the sole reason I was able to truly connect with the people we were serving,” Sims said. “I was given the chance to converse with many in Waco’s underprivileged community, and now I have a better understanding of not just their current situation, but their lives as a whole. The Public Health Fair showed a different side of the world to those of us here at Baylor who may take many things in life for granted.”
ABOUT ROBBINS COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Established in 2014, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences seeks to enhance health, quality of life, and human flourishing for all individuals and communities through education, research, and innovation. It includes six academic departments—Communication Sciences and Disorders; Health, Human Performance, and Recreation; Human Sciences and Design; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; and Public Health—along with the Division of Health Professions, which houses the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. Robbins College offers 13 bachelor’s degrees, eight master’s degrees, and six doctoral degrees, as well as nine graduate programs in partnership with the U.S. Army. Graduate programs in Robbins College are offered in a variety of modalities, including on campus, online, and hybrid.