So you’re thinking of creating an Afya Club. Or maybe you want to join one. Either way, you’ve got questions. Good. We have answers.

Let’s start at the beginning. (Why? Because starting at the end will make it too short!)

1. What is an Afya Club?

It’s a way of helping people who need help. That’s what Afya does. It collects stuff—mostly medical and other health supplies, but other things too (as you’ll find out). Where do these things come from? They are given away—donated—by people, businesses, and hospitals that don’t need it anymore. It goes from them to Afya’s warehouse in Yonkers, New York, where Afya makes sure it’s OK to be used. It gets sorted, organized, and put on a shelf. But it doesn’t stay there long. Soon it will be packed into a huge container with tons—really, tons—of things that will make people’s lives better, simple things like beds and linens for hospitals, fancy equipment for doctors to use, even soccer balls for the children of patients trying to get well.

In the last year and a half, Afya has shipped 21 containers—more than one a month!—crammed with 300 tons of valuable items that would have otherwise been discarded.

Who are these people? Where does Afya send these supplies? Afya responds to direct requests from health care centers in places less fortunate than most places in the United States—mainly countries in Africa and the Caribbean.

If you and your friends want to help Afya fulfill its mission, do some good, and get some great experience, starting an Afya Club is the way to go. It’s not hard.

2. What does an Afya Club do?

First of all, your Club can do whatever you want. You get to define and shape it. After all, it’s your Club, your ideas, your time and energy. That said, there are three basic ways to pitch in:

a) You can raise money to help pay for shipping supplies overseas.
b) You can collect useful items, especially things Afya is not likely to get from other sources, like hospitals. (And remember, everything you salvage that gets sent overseas is something that won’t get thrown out and be buried in a landfill here.)
c) If you live near our warehouse, you can come in and lend a hand (or two) by sorting or packing or who knows what. There’s plenty to do. And nice people to do it with.

3. How many people does it take to make a Club?

As few as one. As many as...many. You can do it yourself. Or work with your school. Or join forces with some other group you belong to. Or connect with other kids through Facebook. Some Clubs have been started by kids working on their Bar Mitzvah project. Others got involved through a school project. Afya Clubs have been started by students in middle school, high school, and college. Here’s what several Clubs are doing now.

4. OK, I’m ready. What do I do now?

Fill out the form on this page to get an Afya Club Kit. Read it. Think about what you want to do. Then do it. We’ll put you in touch with other Afya Club leaders, so you can learn from each other’s experiences. And if you have more questions, ask us. Like you, we’re here to help.