I cannot say enough great things about my Volunteer Odyssey week.  Since that week, I have recommended the experience to multiple young professionals eager to network, volunteer, or just learn more about the Memphis community as a whole.  I did not realize the experience would spark so much curiosity in close friends and family.  I received numerous calls, texts, and comments on Facebook asking how the process worked and how to go about signing up, as well as compliments on my choice to serve the Memphis community for an entire week.

Through the experience I have learned about so many services available to Memphians.  This information is super beneficial to me, a social worker, whose job will always entail connecting clients/patients to resources in the community.  Not only do I see the experience as valuable to my career, but it has also opened my eyes to volunteer opportunities for the future.  I am a volunteer youth minister at my church as well as a member of the young adult leadership committee.  Both ministries are always looking for new services opportunities in Memphis to do as a group.  There are definitely some places I went during my Volunteer Odyssey week that would be PERFECT for future service days.

A wonderful blessing that happened right in the midst of my volunteer week was a job offer I received.  I had been searching for a job ever since I graduated with my Masters in Social Work in May, and the call came somewhat unexpectedly.  I was hired by a company called Alpha Maxx Healthcare Inc. as one of their Population Health Management Specialists.  Alpha Maxx’s goal is to help high-risk pregnant women in the community have healthy and full-term pregnancies through the provision of services by social workers and nurses.  With the one-on-one care provided to each mother, the hope is to see a decrease in the rate of infant mortality in Memphis (which has already happened since the company’s beginning in 1999).  I will be doing a combination of providing social worker services and helping the director expand the services provided by Alpha Maxx.   I’m very excited!

I’m truly thankful for this volunteer experience.  It’s always a reminder to me to be thankful for all that I have, and to give of my time and resources whenever I can.  Unfortunately, with a new job comes less time to volunteer during the week, but I hope to take advantage of every opportunity I can.  Thank you Volunteer Odyssey!

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Did you know it cost more than $2,000 for us to host Ann-Katherine’s Odyssey Week? If you like our work, please consider making a contribution to keep it going!
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