Not all of the volunteers on our missions have a medical background.
Meet Tony Ruiz, an advertising and marketing professional with a knack for photography. He joined us on our mission to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic earlier this month to help document the trip with pictures and stories. Tony is no stranger to volunteering. He volunteers his photography skills on a regular basis with GrowNYC and even helps coordinate the annual Volunteer Day at the company where he works.
Having undergone a cardiac procedure to treat a Congenital Heart Defect as a child, he remembers that there were a lot of things he couldn’t do as a kid that his friends could do. 
When the opportunity came for him to help out ICHF, he was thrilled. He loved having the opportunity to contribute to an organization that helps kids be more “kid-like” and enjoy the things that kids should enjoy.
His time in Santo Domingo made him feel very purposeful –
like what he was doing mattered. Seeing the overflowing gratitude from the families of the patients, and how they truly could not put into words how thankful they were was touching to Tony. In his words, “wonderful work happens there. It’s amazing to see the team come together from many different areas of the world, and when they get there, they quickly find their collaborative rhythm.” Thanks, Tony, for truly capturing the experience in Santo Domingo.
