GSDM Community Volunteered Over 1,200 Hours During 2025 Global Days of Service
One hundred and thirty-four GSDM alumni, students, residents, faculty, and staff contributed 1,255 volunteer hours during the 2025 Boston University Global Days of Service, an annual university-wide community service initiative that gives back to local, national, and international communities.
Kathy Lituri, GSDM clinical assistant professor of health policy & health services research, said Global Days of Services is a yearly reminder of the importance of engaging with and giving back to their communities.
“Volunteerism is a critical aspect of connecting and supporting the local community for the greater good,” Lituri said. “Every GSDM volunteer during Global Days of Service makes a difference.”
We spoke to some of the participating GSDM community members after they participated in a Global Days of Service event about why they wanted to give back to the local community. Here’s what they had to say:
Emely Cepeda DMD 25, SNDA Senior Advisor
SNDA Lessons in a Lunch Box
“I think that it is vital to fill in the blanks for kids who want to learn more about taking control of their oral health. Being able to participate gave me a sense of purpose and I felt like I was making a difference by answering all the kids’ questions! The way we present the information to them is digestible and easily understood by the kids, which makes our jobs so much easier.”
Mikela McPherson DMD 28
SNDA Lessons in a Lunch Box
“I wanted to participate in Lessons in a Lunch Box because I have a genuine passion for working with children and giving back to my community. I believe that educating kids and our future generation not only raises awareness about the importance of oral hygiene but also helps reduce the fear and stigma often associated with visiting the dentist. It’s incredibly rewarding to make a positive impact at such an early stage in their lives. My favorite part of the Lessons in a Lunch Box event was seeing how enthusiastic the kids were about taking care of their teeth. Some of them were so excited, they wanted to go to the bathroom and start brushing right away!”
Jillian Rivera DMD 26, SNDA Vice President
SNDA Lessons in a Lunch Box
“I love any opportunity to be surrounded with kids and being able to teach them good oral hygiene habits. It is very important for kids to understand the importance of brushing their teeth and drinking less sugary drinks. We even taught them how to calculate how much sugar is in a drink from the food label. I truly enjoy any chance to volunteer in my community and going to an elementary school and hanging out with kids excited me.”
Delali Nutekpor DMD 28, SNDA Community Service Chair
SNDA Lessons in a Lunch Box
“I wanted to participate because I have a passion for anything that has to do with serving my community. A major part of our roles as future dentists is to educate and this was the perfect opportunity to do that while also giving back to the community...Although many people think oral hygiene instructions are common knowledge, it’s important to remember that not everyone comes from a home that teaches and practices proper oral hygiene. I loved being able to be the person to bridge that gap of knowledge that the kids may have been missing.”
Funing Zhang DMD 27, ASDO community outreach co-chair
Community Servings
“I was motivated to get involved because nutrition can be a consistent, daily opportunity to improve overall health, including oral health. It also lets us step outside the classroom and better understand the different factors that impact the communities we’ll be serving. One of my favorite parts of volunteering at Community Servings is getting to know the people in our group better. Preparing meals together makes it easy to chat, and I always leave feeling more connected to my classmates. I also love seeing the creative recipes Community Servings put together for the clients. It’s clear how much thought goes into making the meals. Plus, it’s been a great way to meet other volunteers and feel like part of a larger community.”
Emma Callahan-Medina, Leadership Annual Giving Officer
Community Servings
“I attended the Global Days of Service Community Servings event last year and loved it, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to go again. Having a month focused on serving our community is such a wonderful BU tradition, and I loved that I was able to serve alongside some fellow GSDM colleagues and students.Since I am new to GSDM, I loved serving alongside some of our faculty members and students. It gave me the opportunity to learn about their GSDM experiences while supporting the mission of Community Servings. At the end of our shift, it was rewarding to see how many food bags and soup containers we packed—we felt like we played a small role in advancing the mission of the organization.”
Want to see more insight from GSDM staff members? Check out our Instagram Reel in which we spoke with GSDM staff members at Community Servings in Jamaica Plain about why they participate in community service.
Note: All photos submitted by Kathy Lituri, GSDM clinical assistant professor of health policy & health services research