Every Sunday morning from 9-12 junior Shivaram Yellamilli makes a small effort into bettering the lives of others. Like many other students, volunteers at the Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, a hotspot for teens looking to make a difference and for volunteer work.
Yellamilli has been the team captain of his shift of eight other volunteers for over a year.
“Originally I was interested in the medical field but over time that’s kind of changed, though I still stick with the job,” Yellamilli said. “It’s an interesting experience and you can meet a lot of interesting people while you’re there.”
As a group leader, he usually spends half an hour delegating tasks such as delivering labs to others and around two hours carrying out some of the tasks himself. He delivers flowers, medicine and miscellaneous items.
“[The tasks] can be either fun or boring; it all depends on who you get,” said Yellamilli. “You can get a spontaneous and bubbly person and sometimes you have to discharge someone who just sits in their chair.”
Junior Lipika Sadaram also volunteers at Good Samaritan Hospital.
“I’m really grateful for this opportunity,” said Sadaram. “I’m doing this simply because I like volunteering.”
Sadaram said that while the application process was difficult, volunteering is a great experience.
“It makes me feel special to know that I have the power to make a difference in my community and in another individuals’ lives,” Sadaram said.