Volunteer Name: Chris Dethlefs
Alma Mater: University of Notre Dame
Placement Site: Inpatient Unit, Richmond Community Hospital
- Who has modeled being ‘good help to those in need’ in your life? Describe why you are inspired by this person.
My parents have always been inspirational in their attention to the marginalized and those most in need. My father works at a community health center in Omaha that primarily cares for segments of the Latino population in the city. His compassionate service to individuals facing a myriad of complex barriers has been inspirational in my own journey towards practicing medicine. My mother’s work as a school teacher, her committed volunteering to assist poor, expecting mothers, and her ever-loving presence have likewise modeled compassionate care. Their support and guidance have deeply shaped my call to service as an organizing pillar in my life.
- What is your favorite song or book and why does it speak to you?
I would list “Grassroots Post-Modernism: Remaking the Soil of Cultures” by Gustavo Esteva and Madhu Suri Prakash among the books that have been highly influential in my learning. It was pivotal for me in thinking more critically about the frameworks under which the empowered pursue social change and global “development”, and the need to engage “two-thirds world” perspectives and cultures in paving the way towards a more just world.