Volunteer Highlights

Featured interviews with some of our volunteers

Patrick McGovern

How was your volunteer experience been with Semilla Collective?

Great experience - it has been really cool to see the collective grow over time and the work itself is rewarding and impactful. COVID has been a hard time for everyone but the communities Semilla serves have been especially hard hit and are often excluded from many state/federal aid programs so Semilla helps serve as an important backstop to provide much needed support.

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Josh Bracewell

Who did you interact with? (employees? other volunteers? New Haven residents? students?) How were those interactions?

My first interactions were with the employees/volunteers that loaded up my car. They were very friendly! They gave me my itinerary, relayed instructions, and sent me on my way. I also interacted with the recipients of the food boxes at each of my stops. While most recipients were very friendly, the interactions varied from brief exchanges to full conversations. At one stop, I had an extended conversation with the recipient about her recent operation and the recovery that she's going through.

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Matthew Archuleta

Do you plan to continue volunteering with them throughout the year? Why or why not?

Yes, I am already signed up for another three days. I plan the quarter as soon as I know my schedule. As a veteran, the toll that combat takes on bodies and minds is extensive. To know that some of my soldiers or peers could be in this position at some point is heartbreaking. I do this for them.

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