How do
I become a volunteer?
- Complete a volunteer
application and mail it in to RAM headquarter,
including all licensing pertaining to your profession.
- Check the schedule for a trip for which you would
be interested in volunteering.
- Call RAM headquarters to find out if there is a
need for your services on that particular trip.
- If there is a need, you will be responsible for
finding transportation to and from the expedition
location. You will need to maintain contact with RAM
volunteers to check the status of the trip and to
acquire needed information on the details.
- If there is not a need for your skills on a particular
trip, check back again. We have expeditions year round.
*** Note...Refer to the Volunteers
and Expeditions pages
for more details on what to expect as a volunteer.
I called RAM headquarters
but did not receive a return call.
- This happens occasionally, due to the heavy volume
of correspondence. It is the responsibility of the
volunteers to stay in touch with headquarters. Please
call back if you have not received all the information
that is needed to prepare for an expedition.
I have a pilot's license.
Is there a need for my services?
- Pilots are required on many RAM expeditions. We
need the services of those who own their own plane
and are willing to donate their services. If you are
a pilot and have your own plane and are willing to
help out with expeditions, both domestic and abroad,
please contact us. We have a great need for your services.
I'm a dentist and would
be interested in working with RAM. When and where do
you need dentists?
- We need dentists on all our expeditions, both domestic
and abroad, unless otherwise specified.
What are the qualifications?
- Our medical volunteers must have a current, valid
medical license. For U.S expeditions, you must be
licensed in the United States.
Please describe the
working conditions.
- Well, it is not your typical 9 to 5 workday. The
conditions are often harsh. General sleeping quarters
and bathing can be minimally comfortable at best.
General sleeping quarters can be your tent, bathing
can be the closest river, food is minimal and usually
bad. Situations are somewhat more hospitable for U.S.
expeditions.
What are the costs involved?
- Volunteers are responsible for their own travel.
Food is usually (but not always) provided.
Are there age restrictions?
- The expeditions are very physically demanding, but
if you still have the desire and the ability to "kick
up your heels" and work long hard hours, we would
love to have you. Our volunteers are all ages.
Do the ages include
teenagers too?
- Yes, if you are a physician, dentist or medical
professional and would like to bring your teenaged
child with you, bring them along and we will put them
to work...
I'd like your financial statement. Where can I get it?
- We don't put our financials on our website, but you can request our latest IRS form 990 by sending an email to newsletter@ramusa.org. We are audited each year, and these audits are completed in June of the following year.
Can you come to (fill in your state)?
- Unless you're in Tennessee, Kentucky, or Virginia, the answer is for now is "No." Current state license laws prevent out-of-state practitioners from visiting for weekend charity clinics without jumping through the necessary hoops for full licensure. Tennessee is a great exception, as current Tennessee law allows doctors and nurses (and other medical folk) to use current out-of-state licenses to practice at RAM expeditions.
What can I do to help?
- Volunteering is always a good answer, though most of our needs are for dentists, eye doctors, and associated folk. If you're one of those, we ALWAYS need you. We don't generally have more doctors than we need! If you're a non-medical volunteer, we do need folk to help pass out snacks, to help with patient traffic, to help with translation, and numerous other jobs. However, please contact us before making plans to travel, to be sure we aren't over-staffed.
- There are times when we need local folk around Knoxville for work around Headquarters. If you are one of these folk, call our office and talk with us about what skills you offer. If we're a match, we can go from there.
I want to set up a monthly donation. How can I?
- We're researching the best way to offer this from our end. Some services are taking over 4% off the top of all such arrangements. Our goal is less than 10% overhead, so giving 4% to a middle-man isn't our idea of efficient! If you use on-line bill payment, you can set up your bill pay service to send a monthly donation automatically. This costs us nothing. We do not routinely send mailings out, so the traditional reminders aren't the way we operate.
|
