Looking for an Opportunity to Serve Your Community? Suggestions on Volunteering at a Homeless Medical Clinic

Lee Jacobs, MD

Winter 2007 - Volume 11 Number 1

Introduction

Would you like to serve your community but just don't know how to take the first step? One option available to most practitioners is to volunteer at a local homeless shelter medical clinic. Most communities have shelters and, almost without exception, the homeless are in need of ambulatory medical care.

What if you want to volunteer your services but the local shelter does not have a medical clinic? What a great opportunity for you--physician, nurse, or associate provider--to champion the formation of a homeless clinic! Imagine what a wonderful experience that would be for you, for your family, for your community, and most certainly for the homeless person.

The following are suggestions for health care volunteers who want to participate in a clinic or for those who would like to champion the formation of a health care clinic for the homeless.