Meet Grace Schilling, an intern at Heart to Heart International working in the Kansas City programs department. We are grateful for Grace’s work and dedication to serving people in need, both locally and around the world. Find out how you can volunteer by visiting hearttoheart.org/volunteer.
How long have you been volunteering with Heart to Heart International?
I volunteered for the first time to make hygiene kits for Hurricane Dorian relief. I joined the KC Programs team in August as an intern.
Why did you start?
My undergraduate degree from KU will be in Community Health and I was very interested in seeing what public health efforts look like in Kansas City.
What do you like about it?
I really appreciate my team members Stacy and Kealy, our Community Health Workers, who take time out of their day to ensure I am actively learning and understanding the steps in their processes. They are constantly trying to connect me to community members who work in public health and have been so kind and welcoming since I joined.
What is it about the Heart to Heart International’s cause that is inspiring?
I am inspired by seeing “ordinary” people step up to solve problems related to health all around the world and now locally. Everyone is really passionate about serving others and it is contagious in the best way possible.
What do you tell your friends/family about Heart to Heart International?
I am constantly telling my friends and family about all the unique locations where Heart to Heart International is delivering aid. I love the disaster relief work and seeing the updates from the teams in the field is something I love to share on Facebook so others can see about the work being done.
Anything else to share?
When I first joined the team as an Intern I was able to attend a Russian-speaking educational class and then a vaccine event at the Jewish Community Center. This was a great first exposure to the work Heart to Heart is doing in our local community! I saw how our staff worked to meet the needs of this population and made health accessible. While I was able to help out observing after the shots were administered, I really enjoyed seeing how happy and relieved people were!
