Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month? This month is dedicated to honoring all of the volunteers in our communities and encouraging volunteerism. We want to highlight two of our amazing college volunteers/interns in our Community Programs & Initiatives Department — Asma Khan and Hanan Alawe.
Asma, originally from Islamabad in Pakistan (but has been in DC long enough that it’s starting to feel like home), is a student studying public health at American University. She began interning at Iona in 2023, and has worked with our programs at Regency House and St. Albans. Asma chose Iona because she thought it would be interesting to work with an organization that addresses and helps with the different challenges seniors may face as they continue to age.
When asked what she enjoys about volunteering with Iona, she says, “I’ve heard testimonies from some of the seniors about their experiences with Iona, and it’s so incredible to be someone that helps contribute to this mission and improve people’s lives in some shape or form.”
As a student about to graduate and still figuring out where she wants to go career-wise in the public health field, Asma says, “Iona has also really helped me navigate my future goals and working in this environment has really consolidated that I would in fact love to continue working with seniors!”
Hanan, from Dallas, Texas and Ethiopia, is a senior at American University studying public health. She started interning at Iona in 2023 to continue making a positive impact on the lives of isolated older adults in our community.
Hanan enjoys interning with Iona because she’s gained hands-on experience in something she’s passionate about — providing support to our most vulnerable populations. In her role, she’s gotten to touch on many aspects of public health issues including providing Iona resources to residential buildings that might potentially have older adult/caregiver residents experiencing social isolation.
She has also gotten the chance to meet many of our amazing older adult volunteers through our monthly ATDC activities, and says, “they have all been nothing but kind to me.”
Hanan says, “Through this internship, I now feel confident and comfortable going into the career world after graduation!”
Are you interested in volunteering or interning with Iona? Contact our volunteer manager at volunteer@iona.org.
