LETTER: Harleysville Resident Changing Lives With Volunteer Work

The following letter to the editor has been submitted to Patch by Harleysville resident Matt Helfrich. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor at Patch, please email justin.heinze@patch.com.

HARLEYSVILLE, PA — What makes America great? Is it our democratic ideals, our enterprising nature for innovation, or our ability to compete and sometimes dominate global markets? Is it because we have the strongest military in the world, supported by men and women whose skill and bravery is unparalleled. These are undoubtably significant factors that make America the strongest democracy in the world, and yet there is another important ingredient that is the backbone of our country and too often forgotten - the willingness of so many Americans to volunteer their time, money and resources to help those in need. Most media outlets focus their attention on national issues and, consequently, there is a tendency to overlook the great work being done by people in our own communities. People like Jamie Landis of Harleysville, PA, whose recurring volunteer work provides an excellent example for our young people to follow.

Jamie's selflessness and willingness to help the sick in the Dominican Republic, a poor country devastated by the recent hurricanes, exemplifies the true greatness of Americans. While many of us spend our free time and money at the beach or in the "passade" shoppes of Paris, Jamie lent her money and time to travel to La Romana, Dominican Republic, to provide essential medical services in towns and batays (sugar cane plantations) where residents lacked access to medical care.

She was joined by her daughter, Jada, and spent a week (October 7-14, 2017) supporting medical clinics in the Dominican Republic as part of a mission organized by the Hands in Service organization in Sellersville, PA.

During the trip, Jamie, Jada, and the other volunteers would transport medical supplies to clinics in the La Romana area. They used these supplies to treat people who were unable to get medical care otherwise. After reaching the clinics, Jamie and her volunteer group measured the civilians' height and weight and checked vitals such as blood pressure and heart rate. Since many of the civilians were malnourished and/or sick, Jamie and her group passed out vitamins, deworming medications, antibiotics, and other medications based on each individual's respective health needs. Her team also offered fun and games for the children and also read them a story from the Bible each day.

The majority of the patients spoke Spanish and therefore interpreters were needed to bridge the language gap for the volunteers and the patients. However, Jamie had her own "interpreter" along for this mission ---her own daughter, Jada. She is an impressive young lady who currently attends Souderton High School. Aside from the fact that she demonstrated incredible maturity by going on this mission, Jada has also become proficient in Spanish and was able to use that skill to communicate with the patients during the mission.

In 5 days of work, Jamie, Jada and their group treated over 800 people. That's 800 people whose lives were improved, and in some cases saved, because Jamie and her group were willing to reach out and help the residents of the Dominican Republic. Walt Whitman wrote that "the powerful play goes on, and you can contribute a verse", and subsequently challenges the reader by asking "What would your verse be?" It's clear that Jamie's "verse" is to continue to help those in need, even those in other countries. Her story, along with her daughter Jada's, should inspire all of us to take a more active roll helping the poor, the sick, and the lonely.

If you would like to become involved in helping the sick and poor, either through contributions to the organization or traveling to the Dominican Republic to personally help their residents, please visit the Hands in Service website at http://www.hisinc.org/index.ht...

Jamie has made multiple trips to the Caribbean and Central America over the past several years to help their poor and sick. One could only speculate how many lives she's changed through this selfless work. Her volunteer work is not only an important example for others to follow, but also highlights the best of America and why we are a great country. Thank you Jamie Landis.

Images via Matt Helfrich