Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Walsh
Hi Joe, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In September of 2023, while volunteering with the TaTa Sisterhood, an organization dedicated to supporting women with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, I realized that the organization routinely needs volunteer support. That realization sparked the idea for RamsCan, a student organization that provides volunteer support for cancer foundations across the St. Louis area and spreads awareness of all types of cancer throughout our school community. Over the past year, MICDS students have completed almost 200 hours of volunteer service through RamsCan opportunities all around St. Louis. We have also worked to spread awareness about the prevalence and risk factors of cancer by presenting at school assemblies about various types of cancer.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of our biggest struggles has been building relationships with local organizations. In RamsCan’s first year, we contacted several organizations to introduce RamsCan and establish a connection but got minimal response apart from the organization we had the strongest connection to, the TaTa Sisterhood. Our work with them proved to be a perfect place to start, and we learned that we needed to grow our platform and resumé so that organizations would be eager to reach out for volunteers. Sure enough, as we grew, we drew interest from all over and are now fostering growing relationships with multiple organizations.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
RamsCan volunteers participate in a very wide range of opportunities. They have earned volunteer hours by setting up and tearing down events, organizing gift bags for cancer survivors, writing letters for cancer patients, collecting donations, driving boxes of supplies, checks, and gift bags to events, and much more. Students use skills such as leadership, graphic design, and hard work to volunteer creatively and effectively. Students also use their voice and influence within our school community and on social media to spread awareness about cancer.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that high schoolers are more naturally compassionate than they are credited for. A common misconception is that high schoolers are self-centered and are only motivated by rewards, such as money or, in this case, service hours. Most of the work done by RamsCan does not count for service hours, and there are over fifty other clubs at MICDS. However, RamsCan members show up to meetings loyally, ready and eager to help however they can.
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