Belinda Qu
Even though she¡¯s a busy college student, Belinda knew she wanted to make an impact in her community. She had a few constraints to deal with (little time and no transportation), but she was hoping to find a volunteer opportunity she could do online or on the phone.
At first, Belinda joined a community outreach program but didn¡¯t feel that the work she was doing would have the type of effect she wanted. She wanted to have a bigger impact. ¡°The combination of me wanting to do something and the type of opportunity that presented itself, it just fit. It¡¯s perfect for me.¡±
Belinda is the ride coordinator for?Road To Recovery?of Nassau County. The Road To Recovery program provides transportation to and from cancer treatment for people who don¡¯t have a ride or are unable to drive themselves. Every day Belinda carves out time in her schedule to match cancer patients who need a ride with a volunteer driver who¡¯s available.
My philosophy is that you should give back if you can; giving is, in fact, a part of life.
¡°I have to see who matches best ¨C driver to patient. I take in specifics because if the patient is in a walker or has a caretaker with them I need to make sure there¡¯s room in the driver¡¯s car.¡± Belinda says she takes inspiration working alongside the volunteer drivers. ¡°They are all so dedicated and go through great lengths to help out. What they do is truly admirable, and I couldn¡¯t ask for a better team.¡±
Volunteering definitely is a time commitment but something that is important to Belinda. She says, ¡°You need to do something to enhance your life; no one else is going to do that for you. You have to take it into your own hands. This was a great way for me to help out the community and it fit into my schedule."
It¡¯s a part of her schedule that¡¯s adding to Belinda¡¯s education, too. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a substantial amount of people skills. Especially on the phone. I¡¯ve learned to be more understanding and more accommodating of people¡¯s needs.¡±
But the best part of Belinda¡¯s job? It¡¯s that ¡°Little burst of happiness when you get a ¡®yes¡¯ to a ride request and you know that the patient is going to be able to get their treatment and see their doctor. It¡¯s like YES!¡±
