What does a teenager expect when they walk into a home care office for the first time? Lots of paperwork, quiet desks, and maybe a pretty boring day.
For Sahara Home Care’s summer volunteers, the reality turned out to be very different.
In a new episode of The Sahara Podcast, host and Public Relations Coordinator Eliya Rizvi sits down with summer volunteers Wali and Eshan to talk about what brought them to Sahara, what they learned during their time in the office, and some of the funny moments they’ll remember long after the summer ends.
Giving Young People an Opportunity to Learn
At Sahara Home Care, giving back to the community extends beyond the home care services we provide. Welcoming summer volunteers into our offices is another way we can support young people in our community by giving them an opportunity to experience a professional workplace, develop practical skills, and learn about an industry they may not have encountered before.
For Wali and Eshan, both 17, volunteering was an opportunity to strengthen future college applications while gaining valuable work experience and giving back to their community.
But it didn’t take long for them to discover that there was much more to learn.
Discovering What Happens Behind the Scenes of Home Care
Before volunteering at Sahara, our volunteers didn’t know much about the home care industry.
During their time in the office, they gained a new understanding of how much work happens behind the scenes before and during the services a caregiver provides in a client’s home.
From maintaining records and organizing documents to communicating with caregivers and clients, home care requires teamwork, attention to detail, organization, and constant communication.
The experience gave Wali and Eshan an opportunity to see that providing care is about much more than what happens inside a client’s home. A dedicated team is working behind the scenes to help make sure services run smoothly.
Learning Skills Beyond the Classroom
Some of the biggest lessons from the summer weren’t things you necessarily learn from a textbook.
Time management, attention to detail, organization, and communication were among the valuable skills Wali and Eshan developed while volunteering.
In a busy home care office, employees are constantly communicating, asking questions, solving problems, and helping one another. For a young person entering a professional environment, learning when to ask for help and how to communicate with coworkers can be an important step toward preparing for future jobs and careers.
And, Of Course, There Were Plenty of Laughs
Not every lesson was serious!
From repeatedly having trouble with the scanner to an energy drink spilling across the conference room on the very first day, Wali and Eshan had their share of memorable office moments.
And when asked about a favorite part of volunteering? Free food and snacks earned a well-deserved mention!
Those moments reflect something we value at Sahara: creating a workplace where people can work hard, learn, communicate, and still enjoy being part of the team.
Building Connections Through Community
At the end of the summer, the volunteers said one of the things they would miss most was the people.
That sense of connection is exactly what makes opportunities like these meaningful.
A volunteer program can provide work experience, but it can also introduce young people to new careers, help them become more confident in professional environments, and show them how organizations work together to serve their communities.
When asked whether they would recommend volunteering at Sahara to other young people, the answer was an enthusiastic yes.
We’re grateful to Wali, Eshan, and all of our summer volunteers for choosing to spend their time learning, helping, and becoming part of the Sahara family.
Watch the full episode of The Sahara Podcast to hear their stories, their biggest lessons, and the summer office moments they won’t forget.
