Presenter: Julia Mair, Nursing, Global Public Health Scholars
I began volunteering in December 2021 (currently still volunteering) at the Rockville
location of Interfaith Works (IW) Clothing Center, a government and charity funded organization that serves people on government assistance programs, under the supervision of volunteer coordinator Miranda Marks. I made myself useful wherever I could, be that with clients in the clothing store, the donation dock, cleaning and sorting, etc., but the majority of the work was centered around the Food Hub section of the organization assisting with manual labor and working with clients. It is a relatively new program that was created as a relief effort in response to COVID-19 and the effects it had on community populations, with a weekly schedule of receiving food donations from companies like Mana, filling ~600 food bags per week, and giving them out on distribution day. Although the impact of IW is more local, this type of organization is essential to ameliorating the symptoms of poverty. On a more personal level, this service work was extremely fulfilling and solidified my desire to work in healthcare and make connections on a very personal level.