CommunityHealth shines the Volunteer Spotlight on Dulce Brousset during July
Dulce started volunteering with CommunityHealth in 2020 when the clinic first started remote interpreting.
As a long-time, cherished volunteer, Dulce not only trains new interpreters and volunteers at CommunityHealth and another organization, but she is frequently requested by physicians to support translation during appointments.
She even led a presentation during the Interpreter Engagement Club on how to become a professional interpreter.
For her culturally competent and compassionate care, Dulce was awarded 2023 Clinic Volunteer of the Year for Spanish Interpreting for the 2023 Volunteer of the Year Awards.
CommunityHealth sat down with Dulce to learn more about what quality health care for all means to her…
In a few sentences, tell us more about yourself and your background.
“I am a native Spanish speaker and lived in Mexico City for the first 50 years of my life. I worked there as a veterinarian at the National College and retired after more than 30 years. Now I live with my husband and 2 dogs in a house outside the city in GA.“
Why and how did you begin volunteering at CommunityHealth?
“After I finished my training as a medical interpreter, I was looking for ways to get more practice. Searching online when Covid started, I found it as an option for remote interpreting. And then I discovered that CommunityHealth provides access to healthcare for people who have no other option.“
Do you remember your first day? What surprised you?
“I was excited but also nervous and didn’t know exactly what to expect, but it surprised me how grateful everyone was for a few hours of my time.“
What has kept you volunteering all this time?
“Seeing the impact CommunityHealth has on the community, how they continue to expand their services and find new ways to help. The response to the immigrants who have come to Chicago this year has been impressive.”
What is something you have learned from volunteering?
“That you can find amazing people in unexpected places who share your values. Also, how resilient people can be after facing very difficult situations in their lives, and how difficult the journey of an asylum seeker can be.”
What has been your biggest takeaway from CommunityHealth, and how does this impact your other life or career goals?
“That we can all find ways to help and support others. We just have to want to.”
How has working with CommunityHealth influenced your perception of health care?
“It has opened my eyes to the enormous challenges that large communities face just to have access to basic healthcare in this country. But also, that there are amazing groups of people who are willing to address these inequalities and find creative solutions.”
What advice would you give to a new volunteer with CommunityHealth?
“Firstly, you’ve come to a very open-minded place that welcomes new ideas and is always willing to try new ways to improve its service. Explore all the possibilities, ask questions and discover all the other sides of this great organization. You will be surprised how much you can grow here if you want to. Secondly, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. You will see that everyone is willing to support you.“
Outside of volunteering with CommunityHealth, how do you like to spend your free time?
“I love to read and listen to music. I also enjoy knitting, weaving and sewing. But my favorite thing to do is spend time in my garden and explore the outdoors with my dogs and husband.”
What is your favorite book or movie?
“It’s impossible to choose just one book, there are so many. I like mystery, fantasy and novels. But a very old friend is Jonathan Livingston Seagul by Richard Bach, which made a big impression on me as a teenager.”
What is your favorite Halloween costume?
“I’ve always been a witch, my favorite costume so far has been Maleficient, but there will be many more Halloweens to come.”
As the largest volunteer-based free health center in the nation, serving the uninsured, underserved, and undocumented, CommunityHealth is more than a free clinic but a true patient-centered medical home.
Health care providers, both clinical and nonclinical, devoted to quality health care for all are encouraged to apply.