April 20-26, 2025, is National Volunteer Appreciation Week! AMM relies on volunteers to assist in the garden, build kits for patients, and work part-time in the clinic. Without our volunteers, AMM would not be able to help the thousands of uninsured neighbors in Wake County. A big thank you to everyone who has volunteered at AMM! To celebrate, we are featuring two of our clinic volunteers and hearing from them about their volunteer experience.

Blake Hancock

What do you do as a volunteer at AMM?
- I volunteer as a Medical Assistant at AMM, assisting providers with rooming patients and preparing them for their visit.
What led you to become a volunteer at AMM?
- I wanted to volunteer at AMM to give back to the community through something that I love, medicine!
What would you say to someone who is thinking of volunteering in healthcare?
- Do it! As much as you think you will benefit from it, patients will exceed that. Healthcare relies on volunteers regardless of the specialty, and caring for patients is one of the most rewarding feelings.

Dianna Blumberg

What do you do as a volunteer at AMM?
- I am a volunteer medical assistant, helping to room patients, provide point of care tests or diagnostics, and charting.
What led you to become a volunteer at AMM?
- I am applying to physician assistant programs and was looking to volunteer in the patient care space, but I was really attracted to AMM’s mission and its ability to holistically support the patient from primary care, nutrition, to counseling. Celvy, the volunteer coordinator, was so friendly and quick to reach back out, it really made it a no-brainer.
What would you say to someone who is thinking of volunteering in healthcare?
- There is so much to learn here, and the staff are very friendly and supportive of your desire to learn. Volunteering here has also shown me a lot about the economics of healthcare and how patient care can’t exist in a vacuum. To treat the patient fully, there is more to address than what is in their chart.