The World as a Workplace: Volunteering During Covid-19 - Creative in a Crisis

This is Part 3 of a series introducing Evelina, a current Volunteer Associate in Moca, Dominican Republic. Read Part 1 and Part 2.

Learn more about Evelina’s volunteer experience, and her philosophy on giving back, below.

Evelina Elmgren standing in front of the Patronato Cibao de Rehabilitación which houses the World Spine Care clinic in Moca, Dominican Republic.

Part 3

When I arrived in the Dominican Republic, I was well aware of the coronavirus, but the contamination in Europe and the rest of the world was limited.

I didn’t think Covid-19 would affect my life, but I was wrong. Just two months into my volunteering, everything changed.

The center of rehabilitation and the WorldSpine Care clinic had to close, as well as all other negotiations that were not essential services (supermarkets, pharmacies, or hospitals). Recommendations regarding social distancing developed to a mandated house arrest between 5 pm and 6 am, with serious penalties in place for those individuals who didn’t follow the rules.

A woman sits alone outside of her house in Moca, Dominican Republic.

But times of crisis make you solution-minded, and instead of hands-on chiropractic work, instead, I am focused on working towards the development of digital content for World Spine Care, such as patient information and education, blog posts, and translation. As I have always believed, the attitude you enter a task with is the experience you get back. Either way, I am very grateful for this experience.