Our History
The "At Your Service" volunteering program stems from a longstanding relationship between Columbia students, the Terence Cardinal Cooke Healthcare Center (TCC), and the Research Cluster on Science & Subjectivity (RCSS), which supports Columbia undergraduates pursuing service-based projects at the interface of science and subjectivity.
In 2013, the "At Your Service" volunteering program was founded by RCSS intern-scholar Ashley Shaw (CC'13). Her RCSS project took the form of a clinical internship at the TCC, where she worked with with many elderly and under-served individuals at the end of their lives. This proved to be a immensely formative experience (Ashley's 2013 reflections can be found here). Fascinated by palliative care and believing the experience to be not only eye-opening for future volunteers, but also beneficial to the many residents at the TCC, she worked closely with TCC staff and other key stakeholders to build up the soon-to-be flourishing program.
For years, the program thrived, but that changed in when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. COVID-19 hit the TCC (like many others of its kind) hard, not only in terms of lost lives but also in terms of lost staff that made caring for residents all the more arduous. As a consequence of pandemic health restrictions, no volunteering was allowed and "At Your Service" was effectively left memberless and inoperational for 2 years.
In the summer of 2022, another RCSS intern-scholar Dennis Zhang (CC'24) was fortunate to gain entry to the TCC as a volunteer due to loosening COVID restrictions. His enriching experience working in the Huntington's disease unit, alongside learning how short-staffed the center was, motivated him to pursue the RCSS-supported initiative of bringing back the “At Your Service” volunteering program. He first enlisted the RCSS advisory of Dr. Anthony Lechich (past Medical Director of the TCC) and Dr. Christina Staudt (Chair of Columbia University Seminar on Death). Next, he recruited the help of fellow "At Your Service" leaders Rohin Patel (CC'24), Simon Ogundare (CC'24), and Theo Nelson (CC'24), and soon enough, "At Your Service" had returned. Dennis' 2023 reflection can be found here.
This close partnership between Columbia students, the TCC, and the RCSS is one that continues to persist and hopefully will continue to do so for many years to come. Other TCC-RCSS projects include an art therapy program, a narrative medicine-based study of recreational therapy, a resident art and writing showcase, and even ballet performances.
"At Your Service" volunteers are all welcomed and encourage to join the RCSS as intern-scholars to devise novel service projects that harness their own talents/interests and will improve the lives and care of TCC residents.