Heroes in Health

StoryCorps partnered with Quincy Community Health Center, a health clinic that specializes in serving the underserved and migrant farm workers here in Wenatchee, Washington and the surrounding areas. Cristian Ramon and Lupe Cortes (best friends and recent high school graduates) both volunteer at Quincy and came into the MobileBooth to share their story.

Lupe Cores and Cristian Ramon

Lupe remembered reading Angels in Pink by Lurlene McDaniel, the story of high school friends who volunteer in the oncology unit of a hospital. Lupe convinced Cristian that they should do the same. They walked into their local hospital and caused some confusion at the front desk. The woman who greeted them thought they must be attempting to fill school-required community service hours. When Cristian and Lupe told her they had already completed their school’s required hours and were simply interested in volunteering, she seemed perplexed and said they would have to fill out an application and run a background check. Cristian and Lupe left dejected, but luckily, their high school counselor introduced them to Mary Jo Ybarra-Vega at Quincy Community Health Center.

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