Trip to Northern Neck Free Clinic
June 2020

Letter from Ms. Isabelle Maricar:

During March of this year, I volunteered at the Northern Neck-Middlesex Free Clinic through William and Mary’s Branch Out Alternative Breaks program. The program focuses on fostering active citizenship in students during school breaks, where students have a chance to volunteer in a community and learn about the social issues at hand. While Covid-19 sadly cut my break short, I was able to give back and return to the clinic in June with my mom and Cô Huyền from Thăng Long Vietnamese School. When I told my mom about the clinic’s shortage in face masks, she reached out to Cô Huyền who was kind enough to collect and donate masks from the Từ Bi Foundation and the Compassionate Service Society East. Returning to the clinic to see Ms. Jeanie Nelson, the founder of the clinic, and the rest of the staff had a profound effect on me and my outlook on equitable and affordable healthcare. I highly encourage youth to seek volunteer opportunities where they can give back to the community. Volunteering should not be done as a “resume booster”, but should be done to practice compassion and to learn more about their own communities. Volunteer opportunities should be sustainable (i.e. recurring activities that promote long-term relationships with the community) and encourage reflection (i.e. asking questions such as “What is the social issue/bigger picture at hand?” “What are my own biases as a volunteer?” “Aside from volunteering, how else can I positively contribute to this social issue?”). With those things in mind, effective volunteering can guide youth toward active citizenship and promote positive changes in their communities.

Isabelle Maricar