Volunteers at Halo House add such amazing value to the experience that our guests have and we are proud to be able to shine the spotlight each month on one of our remarkable Halo House Heroes so they can be recognized for the extraordinary work that they do.
This month, our Halo House Hero is Evelyn Martinez, a young lady who drives all the way from Montgomery County twice a week to volunteer at the front desk. Evelyn first heard of Be The Match (BTM) and the National Marrow Donor Program from her boyfriend who had been a donor for a local Houston woman and she also remembered seeing a social media post from a childhood friend about BTM and Halo House. Coincidentally, one of Evelyn’s Health Administration courses in college required the students to gain experience in a related field, so naturally she reached out to her friend who works at Halo House to see if she could volunteer.
Evelyn started volunteering at Halo House twice a week and until then she hadn’t realized just how much of a need affordable and safe housing was for people coming from out of town to get cancer treatment in the Texas Medical Center. Like all Halo House volunteers, Evelyn started with answering phones and updating need dates, as well as assisting the residents with any needs when they came to the front desk. The staff soon began to have Evelyn sit in and observe the move in process with new residents. She was very interested and took extremely detailed notes before getting to work with the guests by herself. Evelyn was able to see firsthand just how grateful the residents were to have a “home away from home” at Halo House.
Even though her college course has ended, Evelyn continues to volunteer at Halo House saying, “It is always good to give if you have the means to give. Everything comes and goes in life”. Giving back doesn’t necessarily just mean giving money. Giving back can mean donating your time, attending Halo House events, staying in touch on social media, and keeping all those who Halo House serves in your prayers.
Halo House thanks Evelyn for her tireless service and salutes her as our May Halo House Hero!