Villanova nursing students pack supplies for Ebola outbreak countries

COATESVILLE, Pa. (WPVI) -- Several dozen Villanova University nursing students spent the day putting together supplies to send to those on the front lines fighting the Ebola outbreak.

About 70 students worked Saturday filling containers with medical supplies to go to countries in need.

Sister Jaclyn Mayak has been on the receiving end in her native country of Kenya.

"Sometimes when we receive the containers in my country we have no idea how much people sacrifice to do all the work," said Mayak.

Coatesville's Mission Relief headquarters has been working overtime since the Ebola outbreak.

Dr. Boubacar Bah sees the impact in Guinea.

"We have hospitals where patients are on the floors, no beds, equipment is missing but needed," said Dr. Bah.

The amount of supplies varies, they could be as small as tools to draw blood and masks or even big items like mattresses and beds for hospitals in need.

"We collect from a wide area and build 40 foot containers for Africa. Of course with Ebola, it's really ignited our business," said Jim Harrison, Mission Relief.

Harrison founded Mission Relief. He gathers supplies from local hospitals and with help from organizations like Villanova nursing he packs the containers.

He also relies on donations for the $5,000 shipping cost.

"Funding for shipping dollars is the biggest hurdle, this is the easy - part collecting and getting things together," said Harrison.

"In a hospital set up, it depends how many beds they have but it could be a set up for two or three months," said Mayak.

Receiving one container is an enormous help and packing one is a lesson for these nursing students about how much of an impact they can have beyond Villanova.

"We have a much more global perspective in what we teach now. It's not just about what's going on in the United States because the U.S. is now a part of the world culture. We're a part of everyone and we teach that in the classroom," said Kathy Gray-Siracusa, Assistant Professor of Villanova's College of Nursing.

For more on how you can donate or support visit http://www.missionrelief.com/index.htm