For Sylvia Lopez, volunteering with nonprofit organizations that are doing good in the community brings her joy. She regularly volunteers at
Phoenix-based Dress for Success and Liberty Wildlife, but when she wanted to find a position where she could utilize her Spanish-speaking abilities, she stumbled upon Mission of Mercy Arizona online.
Medical interpreters are one of the most needed volunteer roles in MOM clinics and the hardest to fill due to the unique skillset it requires. Lopez toured MOM’s Chandler clinic earlier this year and began volunteering in April every other Friday.
“I was in special education for 20 years as a speech language pathologist and often served as an interpreter helping to educate Spanish-speaking families about their child’s needs and progress,” Lopez said. “That experience translates well into this volunteer role.”
Lopez has been enjoying her time in the clinic so much that she decided to invest in an immersive Spanish class in Oaxaca, Mexico, where she recently spent two weeks with a host family improving her Spanish by taking 5-6 hours of Spanish classes daily.
“Every day I was able to dedicate an hour to studying and using medical terminology. It’s a cooperative school with excellent teachers and a great learning environment,” she added.
Additionally, volunteers like long-time MOM medical interpreter Ray Nunez have been a great support to Lopez as she navigates the critical role that medical interpreters play in the clinics. “Ray loaned me his medical terminology books, which are a great resource,” Lopez said.
She enjoys working directly with the patients and building relationships. “In spite of everything they are going through, they come in very grateful and happy to get the help they need,” she said.
She added, “It’s so wonderful to watch patients who, with the support of MOM, have turned their health around. I believe their quality of life would be significantly affected without medical care, and they would likely end up in the hospital without MOM.”
Being able to communicate in Spanish with patients who are making great strides with their health – changing their diet, exercising, losing weight and getting off medications – is Lopez’s favorite part of her volunteer role.
When she’s not volunteering or working, she enjoys hiking, walking, going to the gym with friends and learning to cook Mexican dishes.
