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accessHealthNews.net
January 2022
Volume 8 | Issue No. 53
G
lennette Combs hopes to channel
her extensive history of volunteer
and community service in her new role as
volunteer recruiter for the Missouri Rural
Health Association (MRHA). She currently
oversees volunteer recruitment, training, and
guidance for the HealthTran program, a free
service in Missouri that pairs volunteer drivers
with rural residents in need of rides to health
appointments.
After seeing her impressive resume, MRHA
HealthTran Director Mary Gordon quickly
connected with Combs and brought her on
board. "Both of us decided it would be a great
fit and a great opportunity to use some of my
previous experiences plus learn something
new," Combs said. "I'm working with drivers
and get to know that I'm helping people in the
communities get reliable transportation so that
they can get to their medical appointments as
needed."
A HISTORY OF SERVICE
Prior to joining MRHA, Kansas City native
Combs held a variety of positions preparing
her for this new role. As a teenager, she
regularly worked with local soup kitchens and
Kansas City Parks and Recreation, and helped
facilitate an annual easter egg hunt for blind
children. In college, she volunteered as a
crisis hotline operator with the Metropolitan
Organization to Counter Sexual Assault
(MOCSA).
For five years, she operated a 60-child, 15-staff
daycare in Jefferson City, Missouri. Along with
earning a Missouri private investigators' license,
she worked as senior communication analyst
for Guarded Exchange monitoring inmate
communications via phone calls, mail, and
photography.
During a recent two-year term as an
Americorps Vista volunteer, she supervised 19
volunteers for the summer service program
based out of Eldon, Missouri. "We did all kinds
of work for the city of Eldon," she said. "It was a
lot of fun; I made a lot of great friends."
Combs has also worked in marketing, sales,
retail, and as a waitress. "My background
has a wide variety, but I do have quite a bit
experience working with volunteers," she
said. "You name it, I've done it." Although
no two jobs are quite the same, she finds joy
connecting with and serving others in each
position.
CONNECTING COMMUNITIES WITH HEALTHTRAN
As volunteer recruiter, Combs plans to continue
focusing on helping others by creating
community connections.
"There's a high need for drivers right now all over Missouri.We're
working hard to get into different areas to meet the needs of the
people. There's plenty of opportunities and we'll take you through
the whole training process to make it as smooth as possible."
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