Tyranny Pryor

The volunteer activity at Old Town Middle School was an amazing event. Most people were there to learn about ESL classes for their school-aged children, but left with additional information about their health and the free services offered at The Jackson Free Clinic. The number of patients we interacted with was so large that it helped to highlight an additional need that the Hispanic population at Old Town Middle has: a lack of access to basic medical care. Our efforts were very much appreciated by both the school staff and the community members. So much so that the principal of the school absolutely wants to bring us back and allow more time to work.

On a personal level, it felt very rewarding to help in the limited capacity that I could. I do not speak Spanish, but working alongside my fluent peers, I was still able to assist with blood pressure measurements. I was also able to utilize the small bit of Spanish that I could speak, and it went well. In closing, this opportunity was very rewarding, and I cannot wait to volunteer again.