Training the next generation
Lutheran Volunteer Corps member Hannah Wright reflects on her year as a Spanish Medical Interpreter
Q: Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC) and Health Care for the Homeless have a long partnership.
Yes, President & CEO Kevin Lindamood started as an LVC volunteer 26 years ago! LVC is turning 40 this year, so for more than half that time Health Care for the Homeless has hosted volunteers like me.
Q: You’re from Illinois. Why did you choose to volunteer in Maryland?
I worked at a free clinic in college, where we helped people with things like antibiotics for infections and prenatal visits, but we couldn’t address the root of their problem, which was often unstable housing. I was drawn to Health Care for the Homeless because it tackles both health care and housing as barriers to well-being.
Q: What have you learned from this volunteer year?
Our clients are some of the most patient people you’ll ever meet. They wait weeks to see a specialist because they’re uninsured or underinsured. They wait years to get housing vouchers. Clients being patient and their willingness to accept help (both hard things to do) have taught me to keep a cool head and ask for help when I need it.
Q: What’s next for you?
I’m applying to medical school! I think that the on-the-ground experience of caring for people builds the best leaders, which I hope to be some day.
Have you volunteered, trained or interned here? Share your story here.
More Recent News
Spend a day with Patient Navigator Kim Taylor and see how hands-on support helps people experiencing homelessness navigate cancer screenings, treatment and a complex health care system. From coordinating referrals to sitting beside clients during appointments, Kim ensures no one faces a cancer diagnosis alone.
From their headquarters in East Baltimore, Moveable Feast designs and delivers thousands of healthy meals each week for people in Central Maryland and on the Eastern Shore (including some Health Care for the Homeless clients). Read about their approach to improving health through nutrition...
If you drive by the corner of Park, Liberty and Fayette, you'll notice some big changes. See how Sojourner Place at Park, our latest housing project in partnership with Episcopal Housing Corporation, is taking shape!
Jocelyn Portillo may be a “Jersey girl” at heart, but she’s built a life of service in Baltimore. Read how she’s turning her passion for helping others into a career.