“I’m trying to work with some of the thought leaders in the communities. We have the data, we know where those who are infected live and we know how to reach them, so we have to do our part,” said Dr. Morgan. 

Dr. Morgan has decided to fight COVID-19 head on by providing cleaning supplies to those in need as a way to help combat the rapid spread of the disease in Louisiana. Partnering with Mount Olive Baptist Church in Gray, Louisiana, to organize a donation drive to provide families with essential supplies was his first step in the initiative. Supplies like toilet paper, cleaning products, toothpaste, sanitizers, soap and disinfectant wipes are being requested and will be donated to the families that have a loved one who has tested positive for the virus. Morgan says that providing families with the cleaning supplies that they’ll need to disinfect their homes is key in preventing further spread of COVID-19.

“There are families stuck in their homes and they can’t leave to get cleaning supplies. We’re giving them cleaning supplies to wash clothes, brush their teeth, toilet paper, sanitizers, sprays to wipe down surfaces,” said Dr. Morgan. “This virus can live on surfaces for days so we know that their homes are still contaminated.”

A biology/pre-med graduate, Dr. Morgan graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2011 with a perfect 4.0 GPA. He also received the Mother Agatha Ryan award at his commencement ceremony, an award given only to those who have demonstrated excellence in their career endeavors and professional pursuits while also activating faith in service to their community. Morgan’s experiences and accomplishments at Xavier as well as his response during the COVID-19 pandemic are a direct reflection of Saint Katharine Drexel’s vision and her commitment to philanthropy in a way that contributes to the promotion of a more just and humane society. 

“We all have to come together right now. Patients are being discharged from the hospitals and we need some kind of follow up care for these individuals and their families,” said Dr. Morgan. “We need to get mobile units on the ground so that we can put our eyes on them and decide if they need to bypass the emergency room to go straight into a COVID unit or if they are recovering.”

Organizing a drive during the COVID-19 pandemic is not the first time that Dr. Morgan has mobilized efforts in response to the needs of those in his community. During his time at the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, he and his colleagues devoted numerous hours to treat the homeless free of charge and raised more than $22,000 to retrofit a mobile van stocked with equipment to provide medical services to homeless individuals in Rochester, New York in 2015. 

While Morgan acknowledges that unconventional thinking will be the only solution to defeating COVID-19, he urges political figures and those in power to pay attention to neighborhoods that are being affected more than others. Morgan says the health disparity among African-American communities is still at play. 

“Certain neighborhoods are being hit harder than others. It’s important that we increase our presence and efforts  in those neighborhoods - which includes African American communities. We need to get people out into these communities to explain what the virus is and how to properly wear PPE. We are going to have to think outside of the box to make an impact.”

If you or someone you know would like to donate to this cause, donations are accepted on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from noon to 2 P.M. at Mount Olive Baptist Church located at 3076 West Main St. Gray, LA 70359.  For those unable to drop off supplies, please donate via the GoFundMe link. 

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