Brenna Murphy, team member
Many people want to join a medical team with Haiti Foundation of Hope but are unsure if they qualify because they do not have any medical training. HFH teams are comprised of healthcare providers but also include many other people with varied backgrounds.
We have had teachers, students, laborers, business people, and just about any other kind of vocation represented on our teams. While the focus of our teams is providing medical care, team members serve a number of important roles in the clinic such as coordinator, greeter, medical assistant and pharmacy help (counting pills and filling orders). People who are handy always have a job with fixing broken equipment or helping with projects around the clinic.
New team members are great observers and can always offer helpful input. An openness to connecting with others is invaluable and anyone is capable of providing a tender hand-hold or encouraging smile to patients and their families.
Perhaps the most important role that can be filled by a team member is demonstrating the love of Christ through simple actions and by simply being present in the community. And surprisingly, most first-time team members remark after their trip that they ended up receiving more from the Haitians than they were ever able to give.
So … medical training is not necessary to be an HFH team member, but an openness to a life-changing experience is.
Read more from team members at Volunteer Voices.
By Larry Moore, HFH board president.
(all photos are of non-medical team members)
Joan Ostrom, team member
Larry Moore and Adam Carolus, team members
Carrie Petersen, team member
Susan Ruckert, team member
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