On August 17, 2010 a group of 30 strangers sat in a room in the basement of the American Red Cross building in Grand Rapids with feelings of anxiety, hope, and motivation to serve. This group of strangers comes from a variety of different backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles. Looking at the group one may think that there would be no possible way that each and every person could find something in one another to bond them, but little does one know that the very things that make them unique is what will end up bringing them together.
The program these 30 strangers are serving at is Cherry Street Community Health Corps. It is made up of members that serve in various health clinics and outside agencies to help the underserved gain access to healthcare. Services provided include case management, a patient assistance program which helps the un-insured have access to free prescription medications, interpretation so that patients and providers can communicate effectively, outreach services, as well as many others that help the community gain access to needed health care services in order to maintain a relatively good quality of life. Other than the service we provide at our sites, we have different projects members either have developed or been a part of that target certain benchmarks, such as Childhood Obesity. One new project that has taken off is called SPROUTS, which is an urban farm school to help children learn to grow healthy food that they can incorporate into their diets. This project focuses on reducing Childhood Obesity, but also gives the students something they can call their own and be proud of which, in turn, will help raise their self-esteem.
Because the team has so many members, with such different gifts, we have been blessed with many opportunities to provide great service to the community. Also, we have had the benefit of having weekly team meetings that have provided us with a place to learn, grow, and express our ideas and passions. Our Friday team meetings have been the greatest asset to the development of such a strong, well-bonded group of distinct individuals.
The team that started as 30 strangers has now, eight months later, grown into a family of irreplaceable friends. Although this team has gained and lost members, one thing has not changed; the common passion to serve and connect. It is remarkable to believe such a large group can have such a close bond. I am astounded by the willingness of each member to have compassion not only for those we serve, but also for team members in trying times. Every member on the team has offered their support to another member at one time or another and/or has reached out to others to help make a difference in the life of someone else. Although I may not be able to pinpoint an exact time I have been impacted by every member of my team, including the coordinators, I can tell you that I have grown as an individual thanks to each and every one of them and for that I am thankful. I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou that states, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Thank you to the 2010-2011 Cherry Street Community Health Corps members for making this time of service so memorable. I know that as a team we will continue to grow and that the community that we serve will continue to be impacted by the strength and commitment of our members.
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