Volunteer Training

I attended the volunteer training around five weeks ago at the Montrose Counseling Center and learned a great deal about what they do for the community like provide resources to those that may not have them and allow those who are troubled in the community to come to them and seek help.  We took a tour of the clinic and as we were talking, I realized that this was a whole other community that had totally different issues and problems.  I felt as if I was helpless because I couldn't fully relate to the gay community and the programs that I would have liked to join in require role models who have gone through struggles that they have.  The counseling center also provides help to students ranging from 12-21 that feel as if they are alone in the world and can't talk to their friends, mentors, or family.  Only those volunteers working there for 2 years can participate in this and those who have gone through this.

They had a few events every month that took place during the week and some on random times in the middle of the day and some on the weekend, when I had work.  I couldn't write this on the Student Survey because there was no spot to put this in.  I don't believe that I should get any special treatment but I would like to note that those of us who do work to try to make ends meet to pay for our rent and still go to school have a higher duty to the community that involves doing well in school and being able to provide to the community in the future.  I was not able to answer the phone lines because I would have to be there for awhile to do that and the times of the events were during the week when I had class, sometime when I had office hours, or when I had to go into research at Baylor.

I hope this is taken into consideration at least for the next course and I would have liked to volunteer more hours, but previous commitments had prevented me from volunteering to the extent that I wanted to for this project.

All-in-all it was a great learning experience because I never before and really never will realize how difficult it is to live a life that seems separated from the "norm" of society.  I pray for those who have to undergo the pain and break through the stigma that is placed on this community.  Hopefully with more funding and more support, the gay community will be able to have more resources that will allow them to promote safety and spread awareness to everyone.

The Essence of Volunteering

What does it mean to volunteer?  What is the best kind of volunteering?

Volunteering spans a wide array of fields including packaging food, serving the homeless, and caring for the sick.  In the course of my college career, I have had the privilege to do all three.  It has been an amazing experience that I have been able set aside time to donate to others.  This past summer, for example, I volunteered doing the most simple of things....Playing with kids!  I loved going to Texas Children's and volunteering two hours in the 9th floor cancer playroom.  I would play with the kids and join them in their imaginary exploration to make a world of their own.  Although these kids were sick, their spirits remained intact and strong.  It seemed as if the kids were sometimes stronger than their parents.  I encountered a family whose son Oscar was sick with Leukemia.  They've been through a long journey and they were willing to share this with me.

I did not expect to encounter this when I first signed up.  I thought volunteering would only take place in the confines of the hospital.  After seeing this family a few more times, the father (a year older than me) told me how he hadn't had time for anything.  He stopped working out and hadn't taken care of himself since his son got sick and I invited him to play basketball with me and some friends the next day before they left the hospital.  The next day I we walked over, played basketball, and he thanked me later for inviting him and told me that it meant a lot to him.

It seems as if volunteering is something that is best when it's unexpected.  You go with a general knowledge of what you're going to do, but you can't predict the feeling you get when you actually do it.

Next week I will be starting to volunteer at the Montrose Clinic, where I will be making packages and possibly interacting with gay community.  I have never done this before and I don't know what to expect, but I love people and can't wait to learn from this experience.

Healthcare for the Homeless Week 1

Although I have not started volunteering, I will be attending the training session next Saturday at Healthcare for the Homeless. I have previously volunteered at soup kitchens and at Texas children's, but i have never volunteered somewhere like this. I am excited to start and meet various people from different backgrounds. I have always loved hearing about people's stories and enjoy integrating their life lessons into my own life. Hopefully I may contribute, in some way, to theirs.

My expectants for this are simple. I want to learn about different people from different backgrounds and learn to become as culturally sensitive and aware as possible. We take for granted the graces given to us and taking to someone who is on a different level is something totally different. I don't expect to get too involved in the healthcare portion of it, but rather serve people or help the physicians dontheir job better. I believe that I can contribute my attention, care and apply my genuine interest to those that this service caters to. Either way, I believe this will contribute positively to my life and I look forward to starting my first day!