Why are we helping?

Our action is to help people in need around the world. There are many underlying causes that produce class divisions and differences in quality of life. One of the largest reasons for the divisions is poverty. Poverty is generally defined as a lack of sufficient resources necessary to maintain a minimally adequate standard of living (S2). Many people in the world are receiving less than $1.90 a day. For reference, a COVID-19 test is $20.00. This low salary definitely contributes to the impoverished way many of these people live. In the world, approximately 10.7% of people are living in poverty, about 900 million people. In the US, about 13.5% of the population, or about 45 million people, are currently living in poverty. The average salary for these people is $24,257, which applies to an average family of four. In 2016, the poverty rate among full-time, year-round workers was 2%. Among part-time or part-year workers, it stood at 25%. People not working had a poverty rate of 32% (S2). Many impoverished people cannot afford health insurance because of its high cost. The average cost of health insurance is too high for the average family of four to afford.

How To Help.

There are many ways to support our community. All the pictures on the website are from Medshare, but the list below will show multiple places to volunteer. Volunteering can help people in unimaginable ways, and every action you take helps.

Places:

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – VolunTEEN Program Ages: 15-18
Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center – VolunTeen Program Ages: 16-18
Wellstar Windy Hill / Wellstar Volunteer Services Ages: 15-18
Wellstar East Cobb Health Park Ages: 15-18
Medshare Ages: 10+ (Recommended!)

About Us.

We are Manuel (Left) & Adrian (Right), and this is our website for our community project. We were compelled to work on this topic because we believe that everyone deserves the right to healthcare. We participated in MedShare (see above) as volunteers, and although it was a small deed, it helped a lot more than we expected. We have both seen the issues of poverty, and we are fortunate to have good access to healthcare. We want other people to have that too. But you can also help! By looking above, we encourage you to help out by volunteering or donating at any of the listed locations. We hope this website helped you learn and maybe even start participating. Please share this with your friends and family to raise awareness of this issue so we can help solve it one day.

Interviews about MedShare

Interviews with Tonya Grant (Volunteer Program Manager) and Joyce King (a veteran volunteer) and Information about MedShare

MedShare is an important organization where people go to volunteer. Many people get involved with MedShare today. Joyce King, a longtime volunteer, explained how she came to MedShare. “My daughter was in the 10th grade. She had to have volunteer hours. So, we researched and researched the internet, and we located MedShare in Decatur. So, we decided to come here for her 10th-grade year, 11th-grade year, and 12th-grade year.” This shows that even younger people can come and volunteer at MedShare. MedShare helps to package unused medical supplies, and it has more than 20,000 volunteers nationwide. Joyce King also said, “It's a very busy time, and the company could not survive without the volunteers. No way it can survive without the volunteers. That's why it's very important to have the volunteers.” The organization helps many countries around the world. Across 88 countries, people in need receive the medical supplies needed for their survival. Hospitals are technologically advancing in many third-world countries due to MedShare’s assistance. Tonya Grant, the executive volunteer program manager, says, “...we believe that not only people around the world need, um, supplies and assistance and things like that, but also here, we need it domestically.” This shows MedShare’s effort domestically and their assistance to local communities as well. MedShare is based here in Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, in Decatur. When products are sent to other countries, it is crucial to make sure that they are adequate for shipping. Tonya Grant stated, “The biggest issue is making sure that the product that we send is usable. So sometimes, like, when we do a sort, you know, we go through the expiration date, and rarely do things slip through the cracks.” This shows effort on MedShare’s part to make sure that everything is good for shipping. In conclusion, MedShare helped many countries with their medical needs; they have many volunteers, and they need many more. Come help today!

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