CommunityHealth shines the Volunteer Spotlight on Justin Hupe during April.
Since joining us in May 2024, Justin has contributed 180 hours as a triage volunteer and trainer for volunteers onboarding with our clinic. Justin brings a genuine passion for serving patients and greets each day with a smile, spreading kindness to patients, staff, and his fellow volunteers. Whether he’s supporting a busy clinic flow, mentoring new volunteers, or stepping into new roles with the clinic, Justin is always looking for new ways to get involved and lend a hand.
Justin is a dedicated health professional, an exceptional leader in the clinic. We are honored to spotlight his valuable impact during 2025!
For his committed volunteer service, Justin was awarded 2025 Clinic Volunteer of the Year for Triage for the 2025 Volunteer of the Year Awards.
CommunityHealth sat down with Justin to learn more about what quality health care for all means to him…
Tell us more about yourself and your background.
I grew up in Elgin, a suburb about 40 miles west of Chicago. I was heavily involved in athletics during my youth, which sparked my interest in the science of the human body. From there, I received a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, followed by an M.S. in Medical Physiology from the University of Illinois Chicago. Alongside my roles at CommunityHealth, I am currently a Medical Assistant at a pediatric urgent care and also work as a human gross anatomy tutor at UIC. All these experiences have inspired me to apply to medical school, which I’m currently in the process of doing!
Why and how did you begin volunteering at CommunityHealth?
After finishing my graduate degree, I was looking for ways to become clinically involved in Chicago, and CommunityHealth was one of the first places I came across. After learning more about the mission, I immediately knew I wanted to become a volunteer here.
What has kept you volunteering all this time?
After each volunteer shift, I always leave feeling like I made a positive impact in our patient’s lives and helped contribute towards the great work being done here. Plus, all the volunteers here are amazing!
What has been your biggest takeaway from your time with CommunityHealth, and how does this impact your career goals?
Volunteering here has shown me the importance of community connection in addressing inequities in healthcare. As I pursue a future career as a physician, I am motivated to work hands on with the members of the community and help to make healthcare more accessible to all. I hope to continue to be involved at free clinics in the future, whether at CommunityHealth or a similar like-minded place, both as a medical student and as a physician.
How has working with CommunityHealth influenced your perception of healthcare?
CommunityHealth has made me reflect about some of the shortcomings in the U.S. healthcare system, but more importantly, it has shown me the vital role and impact a free clinic like this one has in providing care to our underserved community members. It has also shown me that community clinics can play a part in more than just providing health care. I’m particularly proud of the work the clinic has done to protect patients during the recent increases in immigration enforcement.
What advice would you give to new volunteers at CommunityHealth?
A small piece of advice I would give to new volunteers is to try signing up for shifts on the same day and at the same time, if your schedule allows it. That way, you can begin to get to know the providers you work with and patients you care for a bit better, since they will stay mostly consistent. I have loved working with the Thursday morning providers over the last 1.5 years!
If you can’t do this, volunteering across different days and times is also great, as you will have the opportunity to meet and work with more of the amazing people who are part of the CommunityHealth team.
Outside of CommunityHealth, how do you like to spend your free time?
I love spending my free time in the kitchen, cooking and writing recipes and articles to publish on my social media and food blog. Aside from that, I enjoy staying active, and recently ran the 2025 Chicago Marathon.
