Week 1- Trying to volunteer at the Community Clinic

Sara Johnston

10 February 2007

MIDS 201

Journal Entry #1

This week I did not get to volunteer. It was not that I waited to the last minute to contact the Joplin Community Clinic to set up the volunteerism, it was that when I did try to call them, I could not get a hold of the person I needed to- the volunteer coordinator. When you call the Clinic, you get a ridiculously long recording that is almost impossible to listen to. It made me wonder how many people that need to use the clinic do not because it was difficult to understand all of the details- what proof you did and did not need of things, what days you could or could not make appointments for this or that, what things you did need appointments for and what things you did not, what days and times certain special clinics were open, and even what days the clinic was open and its hours on those days.

I finally got the extension of the volunteer coordinator and left her a message on Tuesday, January 30th, telling her that who I was, that I was from the Honors Program at MSSU wanting to volunteer for my service learning class, and that I was a Pre-Med major. Two days later, I got a message at home telling me to call her and leave my address on her voicemail so she could mail me the application. Application? I knew I would have to sign some things or fill out a questionnaire and do an interview, but a full-blown application? I know that the Clinic is an important place where people’s lives and security are of the utmost importance, but I did not realize I would have to go through a screening process. Isn’t it just enough that someone wants to volunteer? Is it a bad assumption to make that someone who volunteers is doing it for a good reason, is credible, and is a “good person?” It is understandable that someone, once they find out all what is entailed in what they would like to volunteer for, might back out; they might also learn they do not have the experience necessary; but that could all be easily figured out in an interview.

I decided it was ridiculous to wait for a mailed application- I live in Joplin, and it would take me ten minutes to go pick one up. So on Wednesday the 7th I did. The volunteer coordinator was not in, so someone else had to go find me an application. When the lady brought it to me, she showed me what pages to fill out, then the two reference sheets I needed to have filled out by two people, which had to then go in sealed envelops with their signatures across the seal. Even more hoops to jump through, and more people to involve! There is even an orientation before one begins to volunteer. Of course, when I got home, there was the application in the mail. I figured now if I made a mistake on one, I had a backup. All of this red tape makes me wonder how many potential volunteers are scared away by it. I may not have got to start getting my volunteer hours this week, but I have already learned a lot about the Joplin Community Clinic.