Many Ross students choose to pursue a career in the healthcare field because of their compassion and commitment to helping those in their community. The students from the Ross Medical Education Center Midland, Michigan campus recently proved that not just once, but twice. They teamed up and decided to volunteer on two different occasions this summer at Midland’s Open Door Soup Kitchen to prepare and serve food to approximately 50 people.
In order to be able to provide meals to those in need in the community, Midland’s Open Door Soup Kitchen runs strictly on food donations from local restaurants. Once at the facility, food is prepared and served by local volunteers, and dishwashing is done by some of the individuals housed at the facility. Meals are then provided at no cost to area residents, low income or homeless individuals, individuals in recovery programs, and guests staying at the facility. All of these people are those who either cannot afford the food they need or cannot make it with the financial resources available to them.
Ross Office Assistant Cori L. commented as she oversaw students preparing and serving food, “each time I volunteer with a group of students, it’s always a humbling experience to observe their enthusiasm as they prepare and serve food to those in need in our community.” Yolanda P. and Destiny L., students in the Midland Medical Assistant program and first time volunteers at Midland’s Open Door Soup Kitchen, had many questions for the volunteer staff as they served food and inquired about the day to day operations. These students were able to experience firsthand how volunteering positively impacts so many in their community. Although some of the students were first time volunteers, they made it clear that they would be back to spend more time at Midland’s Open Door Soup Kitchen serving their community.