Here are 10 tips for making the most of your volunteer experience:

1. Wear closed-toed shoes. We don’t doubt your pedicure looks great, but for your own safety, keep your toes under wraps.

2. Drink plenty of water. We have water coolers and fans to beat the heat. Help us be Earth-friendly and bring a reusable water bottle so we can use fewer plastic cups.

3. Take breaks. Some say, “Give till it hurts.” We say, we want volunteering to be fun! If you need to sit down or switch gears to a different task, let our staff know.

4. Make it a family activity! Teach your children (or your parents, or your second cousin) about giving back on a global scale. Children 13 and older are welcome to sort with their parents or guardians.

5. Ask questions. What’s the difference between an IV catheter and a Foley catheter? It matters! If you don’t know what something is, where it goes or whether it’s appropriate for humanitarian aid, ask a MedWish staffer. We’re here to help you, help us (help our recipients).

6. Get social. Check in on Foursquare to unlock a first-time check-in prize (and a 10th time check-in prize, if you become a regular!) Tweet to us at @medwish, post photos to our Instagram @medwishintl, find us on Facebook and use the hashtag #DoGoodCLE to let us know how your volunteer experience is going.

7. Wear your heart for MedWish on your sleeve. Or carry your coffee in it. On some of our bigger sort days, we’ll open the MedWish store where you can pick up some great MedWish T-shirts, travel mugs, mobile screen cleaners and more. All proceeds support our mission! (And if you miss a sort-day store opening, don’t worry: Coming soon, we’re launching a new online store!)

8. Watch for forklift traffic, don’t lift something if it’s too heavy, and stay off ladders. Our staff will be looking out for your safety throughout your experience. Pay attention to the posted safety guidelines!

9. You look good in blue latex gloves. Keep them on whenever you’re sorting to protect yourself, our medical supplies and our recipients. (If you have a latex allergy, let us know. We have alternatives.)

10. Come back. Really! Thousands of volunteers pass through our doors each year. The ones who come back make a bigger impact with each visit. You’ll learn more about how we do our work. You’ll touch more lives all around the world. And you’ll come to learn what you like to do the most at MedWish. Your first visit might be nothing but sorting big boxes of miscellaneous supplies, but your 20th visit could be helping track down items on a wish list, writing social media, planning an event or interning with us.

The volunteers brought a film crew to document this important community service. Check it out:

Nurenberg Paris is one of many valued local businesses that support community service at MedWish.

Groups small and large can benefit from a day out of the office. Service can be a great team-builder, morale booster and can help employees feel more connected to their communities – both here in Northeast Ohio and the global community. Volunteers work side by side in our distribution center to transform assorted medical surplus into lifesaving shipment.

If you are interested in scheduling a corporate sort at MedWish, please contact us at volunteer@medwish.org.

To name a few:

• A cargo container of medical equipment will furnish
  a newly built clinic in Honduras.

• A pallet airlifted to the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda
  will fuel the work of volunteers and local doctors.

• A shipment hand-delivered to the Philippines will help doctors
  provide quality prenatal care and delivery services.

• Two special deliveries will help to keep orphans healthy
  in Ethiopia and Kazakhstan.

These are just a few examples of the continual transformation of local surplus into global impact at MedWish.

You can get involved in future shipments: Download our donation guide if you work at a hospital, sign up to volunteer, make a gift or request supplies to fuel your good work. And if MedWish supplies have helped you make a difference somewhere in the world, contact us and let us know.

Clean, safe medical equipment can empower midwives and doctors to bring healthy babies into the world (and ensure their mothers survive to raise them.) Obstetric and gynecological supplies are among the top items that our recipients ask for because the need is desperate.

This Mother’s Day, make a gift to MedWish in honor of your mom (other other women in your life) to help women around the world have healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries and stronger babies.

There are many ways to stay involved with MedWish if you’d like to help us continue our important work throughout the year:

Volunteer

Help MedWish transform usable medical surplus into lifesaving aid: Sort, quality-check and pack supplies! Register to volunteer and sign up for a shift here.

Make A Gift

Celebrate a special occasion, honor a loved one or make a recurring gift. Click on the “Donate” button on any page of our website to make your gift online, or mail a check to MedWish at 17325 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland OH 44112. All donations are tax-deductible.

Get Social and #DoGoodCLE

Find us on your favorite social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Subscribe

Enter your email address into the “Get Connected” field or click here to securely subscribe to email updates from MedWish. If you’re on a mobile device, you can also text MEDWISH to 22828.

Thank you to our sponsors