Volunteering in Mexico

(photo from blog.usa.gov)
As the semester comes to an end, most students are frantically trying to decide what to do for the summer. For some, they may want to study abroad, other may want to lay pool-side and sip icy drinks, but there are students out there interested in volunteering this summer. Did you ever think about combining philanthropy with a vacation? Well, if that sounds appealing, volunteering in Mexico may be perfect for you.

Here are some sites for you to check out if you're interested in volunteering abroad:

Projects Abroad- "The large city of Guadalajara is the home of Projects Abroad Mexico. ... Teaching, Care, Culture & Community, Conservation & Environment, Medicine, Journalism, Animal care, Arts & Crafts and Spanish language placements are all available to volunteers."

Transitions Abroad- This is a great resource that can help you find a program or opportunity based on your volunteer interests. They also provide links to featured news articles that discuss volunteer work and service work in Mexico. It may be helpful to read some articles to get a better, more neutral idea of the different programs.

The International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership- This unique program includes studying and volunteering in Mexico. Students are required to volunteer a 15-20 hours per week. According to the site, they go "beyond the traditional study abroad programs."

Volunteer Abroad- This is another site that helps people to find volunteer programs or internships based on their interests and needs. There is a vast variety of programs, with everything from animal care to journalism.

There are a lot more sites, so if these don't have what you want, try searching for the type of program you're looking for! Happy searching and I hope you consider volunteering in Mexico. If not, at least try to give back to your locally community over the summer if you have any time.

My day at St. Andrew's Children's Clinic

On Thursday, Professor Rochlin took 8 students down to Nogales, AZ to visit the St. Andrew's Children's Clinic. It was quite the experience.

Throughout the day I laughed. I cried. I learned. Most of all, I came out of the experience with a new appreciation for all that I have, and an immense amount of respect for those who are physically and mentally handicapped. Those beautiful little faces all had smiles like you could not believe – despite their unfortunate situations. They are lucky to have a place like St. Andrew’s where the children and their families can go to receive free medical care.

Slightly after 9:00 a.m. the children and their families started to crowd the waiting room and volunteers and doctors were scattered among the different areas of the church. I decided to start in the Physical Therapy section. I started there and ended there. I never left!

Watching the children with different debilitating illnesses was both heart wrenching and inspiring. I don’t want to tell too much about the children, the volunteers and their stories because you will have to read my articles on Borderbeat.net when they are published next week, but I will share some photos of the adorable faces I had the opportunity to spend the day with.

I also was captivated by the parents of the patients and their ability to stay collected as their children sat up on their own for the first time, got a brand new walker, and got a new set of leg braces. These families must have been through a lot, and it was refreshing to see smiles on the faces of the parent’s who sat nearby as their children were treated,

The most interesting part of my day was when I met a father and his 27-year-old son who are volunteers at the clinic. The wheelchair-bound son, Justin, completed the Tour de Tucson bike race in 2005 (and every year since) and his inspirational achievement landed him on the front page of the Arizona Daily Star. The volunteers and administrators at St. Andrew’s saw the story and contacted Justin to see if he would be interested in volunteering. He and his father started immediately after. They practice Reiki, a Japanese technique for stress reduction. This alternative approach to medicine is especially useful in the Physical Therapy unit because children cannot be properly examined or exercised if they are tense. Justin and his father help to relax the children. I won’t give too much more away about them either – you’ll have to read my story!

Anyway, the day ended with some excitement on the way home when our borrowed vehicle got a flat tire. A whole ‘nother story and I’ll save that for another day. Here is a picture to ease the anticipation.

Like I said, the St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic was stimulating place that evoked many different emotions. I think that the doctors and volunteer, and the patients and their families alike have all contributed to society by doing what they do. I would love to be able to go back as a volunteer. I feel honored to be able to retell their stories as a journalist and this is one of those instances where I feel that journalism can really make a difference. I hope you will read the stories my classmates are currently working on. They should be up in the next couple of weeks.