Making a Difference, One Vaccine at a Time
Michael Heumann, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center Volunteer
Like staff, our volunteers’ focus is serving our patients. Volunteers at Virginia Garcia can be found greeting guests, assisting with paperwork, helping patients navigate clinics and vaccination processes, observing patients after vaccination, and disinfecting and sanitizing commonly used spaces and items at our vaccination events. Each volunteer brings their own strengths to Virginia Garcia’s clinics. In sharing their time with us, they get the satisfaction of knowing they have made a huge difference in someone’s life, and are helping some of the communities most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Each of them has a particular story or reason why they have chosen to volunteer. This month we are spotlighting our rock star volunteer, Michael Heumann.
A Little More About Michael Heumann
If you’ve been to a Mobile Clinic event, then you’ve probably had the pleasure of meeting our dedicated volunteer Michael Heumann. Michael is a retired public health epidemiologist and a former board member at Virginia Garcia. He volunteers with us because he feels it is an important way to give back to the community and help make a difference in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Michael is typically the first smiling face our patients will see. He is a volunteer greeter, which means he’ll do a little bit of education about each vaccine and make sure all of the paperwork is in order. Michael goes above and beyond for our patients and the communities we serve. He’s the first volunteer who’s gone door-to-door to let neighbors know there are vaccines available nearby. He’ll cross parking lots, streets, and sidewalks holding signs encouraging as many people as possible to get vaccinated. Michael’s enthusiasm for helping his community has inspired others to follow suit. His dedication to Virginia Garcia’s mission expands far beyond the parking lots of our mobile clinic events.
Michael always shows up to volunteer energized and with a great attitude! Our Mobile Clinic team thinks he is an awesome human being (pun intended!), and wants to recognize his excellent contributions to Virginia Garcia’s mission of providing affordable, quality health care to those who need it most!
We asked him a few questions about his volunteer experience with us.
Do you have a favorite memory from volunteering?
There are many, actually. First off, I have gotten to work with the most amazing, capable, dedicated and fun team of people at the mobile vaccination clinics. Second, I have had the honor and joy of meeting and interacting with so many people from worksites and communities in Washington and Yamhill counties. Third, it has been a wonderful feeling of gratitude from the many people coming to get their first or second vaccination. Finally, it has been rewarding to be able to answer questions of those who have doubts or hesitations about getting the vaccination. Hearing their concerns, being able to answer their questions, and then seeing that they received their vaccination, is always a great experience!
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
I enjoy being able to go to the Columbia Gorge, or up to Mount Hood and hike in wilderness areas and enjoy the beauty of nature in our area. This fills me with energy, joy, and the recognition that we are connected to this incredible area. I enjoy bike riding with friends, and I also spend a good deal of my time working with others on social justice issues and climate crisis response.
What is one thing that would surprise someone to learn about you?
I dropped out of college to travel in Latin America for two years in the early 1970s.
Why would you invite others to volunteer with Virginia Garcia? I would invite others to volunteer at Virginia Garcia so they could experience working with the dedicated and joyful team of people who make up the VGC team of clinicians and staff, who are making a difference in people’s lives where they live and work. Because the Mobile Clinic teams are so skilled, you know that your time is well spent and appreciated by those who you work alongside, from setup to operations to packing up. It is a pleasure to be around and learn from such capable and dedicated people.
