Meet Helene, Long-Time Supporter & Volunteer

Dr. Helene Calvet is an experienced physician and public health professional who has supported CMMB for over 15 years. She has gone on three CMMB mission trips to Mwandi, Zambia as a clinical mentor, helped us train new volunteers, and completed a 101-mile bike ride as a fundraiser which raised over $12,000 to buy essential medicines for Mwandi Mission Hospital in Zambia and Yambio State Hospital in South Sudan!

I think what interests me most about CMMB’s work is the long-term commitment in the areas they work, because that is the best way to positively impact health, by addressing the social determinants of health.  Working on access to clean water and sanitation, access to quality medical care, adequate nutrition, and economic development addresses the root causes of poor health, rather than a band-aid approach that just addresses the surface problems. It is a public health approach – prevention!

As I was approaching retirement age, I wanted to find a way to stay active and engaged in the field of public health, so I attended a CMMB volunteer orientation and liked what I learned. When I went to Zambia the first time with CMMB, I felt like I could help in the efforts there, so I decided to quit my job early and volunteer on a more regular basis. CMMB’s work in very resource-poor places like Zambia, helping the most vulnerable, makes a difference, especially the local volunteers who work in the community. That’s the real value, where the “rubber meets the road” – community volunteers working in their villages to improve people’s lives and prevent disease.

CMMB’s small staff amplifies the investments made by using and training volunteers, so that even relatively small commitments – like donating the equivalent of a daily cup of coffee – can be translated into life-saving work.