MedWish awards Volunteer of the Year to Donna Kramer
The MedWish team is excited to announce Donna Kramer as 2021 Volunteer of the Year! In her time as a volunteer, Donna has accumulated over 355 hours of service. In addition to spending time each week helping us sort and pack medical supplies at the warehouse, Donna has also accompanied the team on medical brigades to Kenya and the Dominican Republic.
Donna has been a volunteer with MedWish for five years. It was her cousin who first introduced her to MedWish in 2016, having invited her to join her at a sort. During her first visit, she learned more about catheters than she ever expected. She was instantly drawn in by the mission, and amazed at the volume of medical surplus inventory.
One of Donna’s favorite MedWish moments came from her time as a participant of the Kenya brigade. She had the honor of coaching a local woman through the labor and delivery of her third child. It was an unforgettable moment.
“Ten of us, four of whom were medical professionals, cared for 450 patients over two and a half days. Someone on the team brought a lot of sunglasses, and they were a hit. It was really funny seeing all the locals walking around proudly wearing their new glasses with the hanging tag and the little sticker on the front. I couldn’t stand it, so I got some scissors and one by one took both off. I ended up with a crowd of happier new friends. It was awesome, as was the entire experience of seeing the MedWish Mission in action – seeing a woman who it turns out had a stroke two weeks earlier, walk in barefoot with the aid of 3 relatives – then leave in a donated wheelchair. I could go on and on, but it was a life changing experience.”
Since our volunteer program has resumed in limited capacity, Donna has been at the warehouse for at least two volunteer shifts each week. We are incredibly grateful to Donna for her consistent commitment to our mission, and are thrilled to award her 2021 Volunteer of the Year.