Our healthcare system often fails those with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. It is organized upon an acute care model: you go in, get the help you need, and leave healthy. The goal is to have a patient get better in as little time as is possible—it is not set up to support people throughout their life, especially in an outpatient setting. Despite 60% of adults in the United States living with a chronic disease (CDC, 2021), our healthcare system is unable to provide the necessary services for many of these people to live a healthy life. As a result, these gaps must be filled elsewhere by caretakers, family members, and organizations. People living with life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, ALS, MS, and HIV/AIDS are often unable to work or cook for themselves. On top of this, many of them are in debt due to constant medical bills. Family and friends may deliver meals in the first couple of weeks of a diagnosis, but many people do not have a secure support system that continues to care for them.

While volunteering for Open Arms, I usually worked in the kitchen or delivered meals. Working in the kitchen or bakery differs a little bit every time, but typically involves chopping, scooping, packaging, labeling, or sealing food. The recipes are created by dietitians, and all of the food has to be carefully portioned as some of the clients have very specific dietary needs. Delivering meals involves getting the meals from Open Arms, and delivering them directly to clients. If you do the same delivery routes, you can get to know some of the clients more personally which is really rewarding. Working there during COVID-19 has certainly changed the experience. They have had a 40% increase in demand for their services since the pandemic hit. This means that the staff has had to really adapt to make so many more meals in the same amount of time with the same amount of space and equipment. It also goes to show just how critical the services they are providing are, and being able to do something that makes a tangible impact during the pandemic has been really motivating for me.