Alternative Seasonal Break - PhilippinesHi! My name is Mia and I got involved with the Atherton YMCA earlier this year. I am going to be a junior at UH Manoa majoring in Finance and Chinese. I first got involved with the YMCA after hearing about the Alternative Spring Break Program in the Philippines. It was an incredible experience that really opened my eyes to the benefits of volunteering. It was a humbling experience as I created relationships with the children and heard of their eagerness to explore the world as well as their aspirations in life. I saw firsthand how their limited resources did not limit their dreams. This experience allowed me to look at my own life and realize how blessed I was. I also learned so much about myself as I realized the importance of volunteering. Volunteering not only helps the people you serve, but it allows you to reflect on your own life and grow as a person. Volunteering with the YMCA was a very easy process as they have so many different programs that you can choose from! So far, I have volunteered in the Philippines and was a college camp mentor this past summer.
Aside from the obvious benefits of volunteering, there were also benefits that I did not expect. The main benefit that came as a surprise was the great friendships I was able to make with the people I volunteered with. I believe that something magical happens when a group of people is willing to give up their time and energy towards a cause that they believe in. I am so grateful for the wonderful and amazing people I have met along the way and I am so glad I got involved at the Atherton YMCA! |
Mia Porter
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Junior Major: Finance and Chinese |
Mark Lee University of Hawaii at Manoa, Senior Major: Molecular Cell Biology & Mathematics |
Alternative Seasonal Break - MolokaiWhy did you want to volunteer?
Volunteering with the Atherton's YMCA 2015 Rural Health & Health Disparities ASB Molokai gave me the opportunity to serve our disadvantaged communities while learning about the lack of access to healthcare in Hawaii's outer islands. Further, I was able to significantly develop my cultural competency through seminars such as the Mala La`au Lapa`au at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Both healthcare delivery issues and diversity were important competencies expected by medical schools. Why was it easier to volunteer through the Y? The Atherton YMCA was open to new ideas and gave me and my classmates the opportunity to develop a trip itinerary that would give us the most professional growth. What did you accomplish (what were the results)? Through the 2015 Rural Health & Health Disparities ASB Molokai, we were able to have a 1-night stay at Kalaupapa to provide community service, shadow nurse practitioners and physicians for 6 hours each student, observe a narcotics anonymous meeting, attend La'au Lapa'au (traditional Hawaiian medicine) seminars, volunteer at Na pu`uwai Adult Day Care, volunteer with Ka Hale Pomaikai substance abuse treatment center, and the Molokai Children's Center. What are some of the benefits? The major benefit of this trip was personal growth; we were able to gain important insights into social and public health issues that characterize our rural communities. What were other things that you got out of volunteering that you didn't expect? Our group was very surprised by the warmth and generosity of the people on Molokai. Over the course of the trip, we were treated as family, even being Hanai'ed by on of our hosts. |
