National Volunteer Week: Making a Difference During the Pandemic

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers have been supporting Howard Brown Health’s work in a variety of ways. Sam is a pre-med student at University of Chicago who volunteers at Howard Brown Health Clark in Rogers Park. Learn why Sam volunteers at Howard Brown and find out if volunteering is right for you!

Sam, he/him

I found out about volunteering at Howard Brown because I am a University of Chicago student. We have a Howard Brown near campus in Hyde Park, so that’s how I first learned about it. As a pre-med student, I wanted to volunteer at a clinic that serves underserved or marginalized communities. Volunteering at Howard Brown ensures that I have an impact on the surrounding communities. It’s a perfect fit.

As a volunteer, I support the Rogers Park location in medical records and help with referrals for patients, like getting prior authorization process from insurance. I have also been volunteering at the vaccine events around town, which have been really rewarding.

It feels good to be part of the solution to COVID-19. It’s rewarding to be at schools and community centers, vaccinating hundreds, if not thousands, of people in one weekend.

The volunteer program at Howard Brown is great. Terra, the Volunteer Coordinator, is awesome and very responsive to my inquiries. Howard Brown has been a great place to volunteer at and I highly recommend it, especially if you’re a student and interested in health equity.

If you have any questions on how to volunteer, please get involved and learn more about our volunteer program here!