First Day of Volunteering

Friday, September 2, 2011 was my first day to volunteer at the Casa Juan Diego Medical Clinic through the Catholic Worker House in Houston, TX. 


I had arranged to arrive at the clinic at 6:30 in the morning and to volunteer for 2 hours. On the drive over, I was feeling anxious and nervous about where to go and what I would be doing when I got there. It was dark when I arrived. When I pulled up, I called my supervisor and she said she would come let me in, but it took her about ten minutes to come to the door. Outside of the clinic, a line of about 25 people had formed, all Hispanic. They looked sad. Some of them looked more healthy than others, but none of them looked happy. I was somewhat uncomfortable standing out there with them in the dark. I knew that I was volunteering to serve these people, and I tried to smile and look friendly and excited, but it was difficult being so out of my element. Nevertheless, I hid my nerves and smiled until, finally, Louise came to the door and let me into the clinic.


As soon as the doors were open, I quickly began assisting in whatever way possible. Before the doctors arrive, all of the patients seeking medical care must sign in, have their vitals taken, and be interviewed about why they are seeking treatment. Because I do not speak Spanish, I was given the task of finding the medical record folders for returning patients, or making folders for newcomers. The two hours flew by. When we couldn't find the medical record folder for someone, it became frantic, trying to find one before the doctors were ready to see new patients. Despite the chaos, I managed to find or make folders for all of the ~25 patients who visited the clinic on Friday morning. 


The most frustrating part of the experience was being unable to communicate with the patients at the clinic. Even though I grew up in San Antonio, TX, I speak almost no Spanish. The patients kept coming to the room where I was organizing medical records, and they would ask me questions but I could only tell them to wait for someone else who spoke Spanish. I quickly became aware that if I plan on being a doctor in Texas, I really do need to learn at least some Spanish. 


Overall, the experience was very insightful. While I am not able to interact with the patients as much as I would like because of the language barrier, I do feel like I am a valuable volunteer. I look forward to the coming weeks. Because things were so hectic the first day, I was not able to fully reflect on the situations of the patients who were seeking treatment. I am excited to learn more about the kind of people served by the Casa Juan Diego Medical Clinic, and being able to make the patients feel comfortable, even if it is just with a smile.