Home » National Volunteer Week 2010
This week is National Volunteer Week!
Volunteers Planting Seeds of Hope...
We'd like to thank all our volunteers that have generously offered their gifts of time, talent and treasure to ensure the mission of El Buen Samaritano is kept alive and thriving.
Be it through teaching adult learners the ins and outs of the English language, caring for the medical health of the sick or distributing the necessary nutritional resources to put food on the table of the less fortunate; our volunteers are the heart and soul of our programs and services and give life to the mission of El Buen.
In the last 12 months, 483 volunteers—221 education volunteers, 75 food pantry volunteers, 29 health care volunteers, eight health educators and 150 annual event volunteers—stepped into the premises of El Buen Samaritano with the only desire to provide a hand up to those who came through the doors of El Buen. It is those volunteers who constantly plant seeds of hope in our clients, instilling in them the confidence they need to face the world every day they leave El Buen Samaritano.
El Buen Samaritano is grateful to all its volunteers for planting seeds of hope and for exemplifying the virtues of the Good Samaritan.
Sergio Gaona, Adult Education Program
Walking into Sergio Gaona’s evening English as a Second Language class is a truly inspirational experience.
Sergio, a volunteer teacher at El Buen for more than four years, lights up his classroom two nights a week with a charismatic style and a passion for teaching that exudes through every lesson. Staff members and students alike recognize Sergio as a superstar in the ESL teaching team.
After a recent evening class, students eagerly lined up to express their gratitude and appreciation for Sergio and his teaching style. The student praise speaks for itself:
“He is a very good teacher, the best,” says Andrea Armendario. She says in English, “He explains everything perfectly and I feel that I learn so much every night.” Of her time as an ESL student at El Buen, she says, “I feel very happy here.”
Husband and wife Filiberto and Guillermina Lopez second the praise of Sergio’s teaching. “We are so grateful for all the volunteer instructors like Sergio that help us learn English,” Filiberto said. “We are especially grateful for Sergio because he is very patient.”
Another current student in Sergio’s class explains, "I've never been to school before," explains Andres Laurel in confident English. "Sergio is the teacher I never had. He encourages us to keep studying and I am learning so much." To Andres, Sergio is more than just an instructor: "He is a good friend, too."
Sergio is humbled and encouraged by the many expressions of gratitude from his students. He teaches for the love of the students and feels rewarded by seeing students succeed in learning English. He senses the great need in the community and devotes each class period to help students learn English in order to create more opportunities for themselves and their families.
Juan Rosa, assistant education programs coordinator at El Buen, took his first English class with Sergio. Originally from El Salvador, Juan feels Sergio’s class made all the difference for him.
“I could not find a better word than to say that Sergio is awesome,” Juan said. “He is completely clear and makes sure the students understand everything.” Now fluent in English, Juan says, “I am proud to be his former student, and I know I can still refer to him when I have questions.”
Juan now works with Sergio to schedule his classes. To him, Sergio stands out as a volunteer that goes above and beyond the call of duty. “He is one of those volunteers who I can call for help and he’ll be there. And he is here because he loves it.”
During National Volunteer Week, we commend the exceptional efforts of Sergio and the more than 200 other education volunteers who donate their time and talent to make El Buen’s education classes successful. El Buen is truly honored to have talented and dependable volunteers like Sergio, who go far beyond their call of duty, exemplifying the virtues of the Good Samaritan.
Martha Hoflich, Food Pantry
With a big philanthropic heart, Martha Hoflich has faithfully given of her time, talent and treasure to the food pantry for the last two years. With a smile that transcends all language barriers, she treats everyone with respect and dignity as she assembles and distributes grocery bags to families and individuals who would otherwise lack the resources to put food on their table.
“I love seeing the gratitude of the folks receiving food,” Martha said. “I can tell they express their heart-felt thankfulness with sincerity.”
Martha has volunteered in many Austin nonprofits including the Capital Area Food Bank, Austin Habitat for Humanity and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. “After volunteering with the Capital Area Food Bank, I was interested in seeing what was next in the process of getting the food to those in need,” Martha said. “And El Buen seemed like the perfect fit because it also allows me to practice my Spanish.”
Rosa Carroll, food pantry coordinator, says of Martha, “I can always count on her to arrive ready to start stacking can goods and assembling grocery bags a few minutes before 9 a.m. every Thursday. She treats her volunteerism with so much dedication you would think she worked here and got paid for it,” Rosa said. “I could never do my work without the help of volunteers like Martha.”
Having volunteered for nonprofits in Austin for so many years, Martha has brought a wealth of knowledge to El Buen Samaritano and the willingness to share it. Several months ago, she readily filled an urgent need in the Volunteer Services Program and even taught the staff a few more-effective methods for entering data to the volunteer database. But her passion lies in helping those who struggle day to day to make ends meet.
“I have been very fortunate in my lifetime having plenty to eat and a decent place to live,” Martha said. “When I retired, I decided to help basic-needs organizations and assist people in our community who are in need.”
The staff and clients of El Buen Samaritano are deeply grateful for volunteers like Martha, whose gentle spirit and devotion to helping the less fortunate give life to the mission of El Buen. Thanks, Martha!
Dr. Matthew Masters, Wallace Mallory Clinic
For more than seven years, Dr. Matthew Masters has been a regular smiling face at the Wallace Mallory Clinic. As a volunteer physician, he volunteers to provide specialized internal medicine services to patients who would otherwise not have access to quality health care.
Dr. Masters came to the clinic through a Travis County program called Project Access. At the time, El Buen was located in a much smaller facility on South First and West Mary. Though the facilities were cramped, Dr. Masters kept coming back due to his passion for serving the working poor of Austin.
Dr. Masters remains a devoted volunteer despite a jam-packed schedule which includes running his own private practice, providing addiction recovery services at TX Star Recovery and working at St. David’s Hospital in South Austin on the weekends. Dr. Masters manages to consistently see a high volume of patients at El Buen while providing a much-needed specialty in internal medicine.
Al Perez, director of health services at El Buen Samaritano, says of Dr. Masters, “He is very special to us because he provides a high-demand service and treats some very complicated cases. He fills a really important niche for the clinic.”
Working with an interpreter and other support staff, it is not uncommon for Dr. Masters to work through five rooms at a time to see as many patients as possible during his bi-monthly rotation at the Wallace Mallory Clinic. Al confirms, “He can see many patients in a short period of time. He knows how to bounce from room to room and works hard to see as many patients as possible.”
“It’s been a lot of fun working at the Wallace Mallory Clinic,” Dr. Masters says. “People are friendly, the patients are grateful and the staff is excellent.”
Compared to his private practice, Dr. Masters enjoys the willingness on behalf of the patients to get better and listen to the doctor’s orders. “At El Buen, I truly feel I am serving hard-working people who want to better themselves but don’t typically have access to quality care. The patients really want to get better, and they do get better.” He adds, with a smile, “And I like to see people get better.”
El Buen is truly grateful for the work of Dr. Masters and eight other volunteer physicians who give their specialized talents to improve the health of low-income families in the Austin area. Thank you, Dr. Masters, and keep up the good work!
