"Although all the AmeriCorps Members of the Philadelphia Health Corps may not see each other on a daily basis, it is encouraging to know that you can always reach out to those around you and be assured that someone will always be there in times of need."

Although each Philadelphia Health Corps member is designated a specific role within their host site, extensive service also occurs outside of regular host site service. One of the many ways the members of the Philadelphia Health Corps continue to interact with each other and with the Philadelphia community is through committees which include: Professional Development, Communications, Learning Series, Service, and Corps Support.

I was extremely excited when I learned that I was placed on the Corps Support Committee. The main purpose of Corps Support is to give both emotional and social peer support to fellow members during times of personal and professional difficulty. Corps Support strives to motivate members through challenges they encounter during their service term with a positive and supportive attitude. Some of the methods we use to accomplish these goals are organizing social events, workshops for self-care, health and wellness and relaxation, and through the simple recognition and celebration of the successes of Philadelphia Health Corps members.

My undergraduate background in Psychology drew me to the Corps Support Committee, especially considering how the committee emphasizes both the emotional and social well-being of each corps member. Although I was more focused on the emotional and physical well-being of my patients at Strawberry Mansion Health Center when I initially began serving with the Philadelphia Health Corps, serving on Corps Support truly made me recognize the importance of maintaining my own physical, mental, and emotional well-being while engaging in service. Because of the Health Corps’ extreme dedication and passion to help the underserved communities in Philadelphia, there are often times when a member may forget to tend to his or her personal well-being. However, through my meetings with the other members of Corps Support, I am constantly reminded of the importance of maintaining a healthy mental, physical, and emotional state of being. Often, Corps Support meetings open with hilarious anecdotes from the past weekend, personal updates, and other forms of camaraderie. These conversations are reminders that other members of our Corps are more than just colleagues; they are also friends and confidants. Corps Support helps facilitate healthy relationships amongst members by providing opportunities for members to interact that may see one another on a less frequent basis.

Over the course of this term, the members of Corps Support, as well as other members of the Philadelphia Health Corps, have evolved a great deal from being strangers or co-members at first; now, they have ultimately become a part of my community as well as a part of my support system in Philadelphia. Although all the AmeriCorps Members of the Philadelphia Health Corps may not see each other on a daily basis, it is encouraging to know that you can always reach out to those around you and be assured that someone will always be there in times of need.
 

This post was written by PHC member Jenny Yi.
Jenny serves at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health - Ambulatory Health Services as a Patient Assistance Program Advocate.