Sotirika Janaqi’s journey to Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY) began with her desire to make a meaningful difference in healthcare—a passion rooted in her experience growing up in Greece, where healthcare was accessible and cost-free.
Today, as RMH-NY’s Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator, she not only works to cultivate a supportive environment but is now also pivotal in recruiting volunteers for RMH-NY’s new Family Room at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx. Her story sheds light on the impact of community health initiatives in New York City and highlights RMH-NY’s partnership with the AmeriCorps Service Program, which helped her transition from for-profit healthcare to the nonprofit sector.
This story also calls on any and all interested new recruits to join the AmeriCorps Service Program in partnership with RMH-NY, contributing to the efforts supporting families facing pediatric health crises across New York City.
A Leap of Faith Through AmeriCorps
Sotirika’s background in optometry gave her a unique perspective on the business side of healthcare. Working with newly acquired practices, she provided staff support, handling transitions while considering patient needs. However, her heart leaned toward the nonprofit sector, where she felt she could create a tangible impact in the lives of those who needed it most.
Sotirika On Choosing the Nonprofit Path
“I grew up in Athens, Greece. I grew up with healthcare very accessible to me… moving here, it sounds so silly, but even for our families at the House, transportation is one of the issues that we have. Growing up with something so accessible and moving here where it’s so inaccessible, but so important, just made me realize that’s where I want to be.”
A chance encounter with a Greek-speaking woman named Spiridula in Astoria, Queens, introduced her to AmeriCorps—a program she hadn’t previously considered. This new opportunity offered the flexibility she needed, allowing her to volunteer part-time at RMH-NY without having to leave her full-time job right away.
For those looking to explore new career paths, especially in fields like community health, the AmeriCorps Service Program offers a similar path: flexibility, valuable skill-building opportunities, and the chance to be involved in hands-on, impactful work. AmeriCorps even provides helpful perks like student loan forgiveness and access to resources that make a shift into nonprofit work accessible.
Sotirika dedicated herself to RMH-NY through AmeriCorps, working two to three days a week while handling her full-time job. The experience allowed her to test the waters of community health work, ultimately confirming her desire to transition to nonprofit healthcare.
From AmeriCorps Service to Volunteer Recruitment at RMH-NY
Through her work with AmeriCorps, Sotirika supported the HealthFirst Cohort project, a community health initiative that focused on connecting underserved families with vital health resources. This position required more than basic healthcare outreach: in her role, she made critical, often delicate connections with young patients and their families. She recalls her outreach to families facing challenges like housing insecurity, food scarcity, and domestic violence—a process that was emotionally demanding but profoundly rewarding.
As her AmeriCorps term neared completion, Sotirika sought a more people-centered role. RMH-NY soon offered her a new position as Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator, an opportunity that aligned perfectly with her passion for relationship-building. She saw it as the ideal blend of her skills in volunteer retention and recruitment, bringing her closer to RMH-NY’s mission and allowing her to facilitate meaningful connections between volunteers and the families they serve.
On Navigating Flexibility with AmeriCorps
“I would say the flexibility was what made it so appealing… being able to try something new at a point where I was not 100% established in my career, but moving up. It’s very hard at that point to do a career change, and AmeriCorps really allows you to do that.”
A New Chapter in Community Health Outreach
The opening of the new Family Room at Montefiore Hospital represents a significant expansion for RMH-NY, pushing its reach beyond Manhattan to serve more families in the Bronx. This Family Room is uniquely located in a nearby residential facility only a block away, rather than inside the hospital itself. Here, families can find daily comfort and respite just as they might at Ronald McDonald House New York’s first two family room endeavors at NYC Health + Hospitals/ Kings Country in Brooklyn and NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst in Queens.
However, there is one large component to the Montefiore Einstein Family Room that has not existed in the first two family rooms: overnight stay quarters for families. The Ronald McDonald Family Room at Montefiore Einstein will supply many families with children in treatment in the hospital with everything a family room would normally provide them during daily working hours while adding two separate private sleeping quarters for two families and a 24/7 quiet room, which will allow them to recharge close to their hospitalized child.
On Working with Vulnerable Populations in NYC
“Each day looked really different. There were times I’d be on the phone and people would say they had no needs, but then others had no food or were living in abusive houses, or sleeping in their cars… Hearing their stories and getting them resources really put everything in perspective.”
A Remarkable Match: Sotirika Takes on Montefiore
You might think that finding a full staff to oversee operations of a family room to provide all the daily comforts as well as the 24-hour overnight management would be a difficult task, yet RMH-NY Programs and Operations leaders from the House outfitted the room with a full team in record time, yet finding similar volunteer staffing for the project has proven a much more intricately high mountain to climb up and conquer.
On Transitioning to Volunteer Recruitment
“I think I’m really good at creating relationships with my coworkers, and I believe that’s so important. I wanted a more people-facing role… and I told them I was interested in volunteer recruitment. My previous role focused a lot on retention, which is what they were looking for—to keep our volunteers long-term.”
When this difficult task presented itself to House leadership, Sotirika’s personal approach to recruitment and ability to speak to the House’s mission with such spirited compassion seemed the only pathway down which they could see a family room successfully filled with a host of incredible volunteers willing to take on the task at hand at Montefiore Einstein Family Room. Sotirika received the mandate and immediately began to scale the monumental task set at her feet.
The Day to Day at Montefiore
Sotirika’s primary focus is recruiting volunteers who can offer the compassionate support these families will need as they navigate incredibly challenging times. For volunteers, working in this environment is about more than simply providing logistical help; it’s about extending kindness and creating a reassuring presence that eases the stress families face. Given the location outside the hospital’s immediate vicinity, Montefiore staff play a critical role in connecting families to the Family Room, and strong coordination between volunteers and hospital staff is essential to its success.
The Family Room’s success depends heavily on volunteer consistency and engagement, a challenge that Sotirika embraces. Through her team’s outreach, RMH-NY has built connections with New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) programs, providing local volunteers from the Bronx who bring a deep understanding of the community. This ensures that RMH-NY has a dedicated team available to support families at Montefiore.
Recruitment Challenges and the Call for Dedicated Volunteers
Volunteer recruitment at RMH-NY in general has never been an easy task. The organization requires volunteers to commit to three shifts each month for a full year, ensuring that families see familiar faces who understand their needs and routines. Volunteers must also pass a background check, underscoring RMH-NY’s commitment to maintaining a safe, supportive environment for families and children.
On Loving Her RMH Team
“I absolutely love my team. I rely heavily on them… If I walk into the house and I’m having the best day ever, and I walk into the volunteer office and they’re having the worst day ever, we still hype each other up and take care of each other.”
To attract volunteers who are ready to make this commitment, Sotirika has adjusted orientation schedules to correspond with active volunteer hours. This adjustment allows potential volunteers to experience the environment firsthand, fostering a greater understanding of the dedication required. RMH-NY is also drawing volunteers through the AmeriCorps Service Program, providing aspiring professionals like Sotirika a flexible pathway to engage with meaningful work.
The Unique Impact of RMH-NY Volunteers
Volunteering at RMH-NY offers distinct experiences depending on location. At the main House, volunteers have the opportunity to develop close, supportive relationships with families who stay for extended periods. In the hospital Family Rooms, volunteers encounter families during some of their most vulnerable moments, requiring a sensitivity to both visible and invisible needs. For example, a simple gesture like offering a cup of coffee or providing a quiet space for a moment of respite can make a world of difference. As Sotirika describes it, these experiences are “humbling” for volunteers, giving them insight into the incredible resilience of families and young patients.
Through her efforts to recruit volunteers for RMH-NY’s newest Family Room, Sotirika is ensuring that families in the Bronx will find not only a physical space to rest but a warm community of volunteers who understand the depth of their challenges. RMH-NY’s Family Rooms play a pivotal role in this mission, and volunteers are an essential part of it.
Join the RMH-NY Family: Make a Difference Through AmeriCorps
For those looking to join AmeriCorps, Sotirika’s journey demonstrates the program’s potential to launch a career in community health while making an immediate impact. AmeriCorps provides the flexibility, training, and real-life experience that can make a career transition possible, with opportunities to work alongside RMH-NY’s compassionate team. Volunteers become part of something larger—an organization that is actively expanding access to health equity for underserved families throughout New York City.
On Making a Difference for Domestic Violence Survivors
“There was a mother of three going through domestic violence. We had to make sure she could speak openly… planning a meeting knowing when her partner would not be there, so it would be a safe space for her to get away and meet with us.”
Through the AmeriCorps Service Program, RMH-NY invites volunteers to join in the mission to support families facing pediatric health challenges. As the new Family Room at Montefiore opens its doors, the need for dedicated, compassionate volunteers is greater than ever. RMH-NY welcomes individuals who are ready to offer their time, empathy, and skills to create safe, comforting spaces where families can find support and solace.
From AmeriCorps to Ameri(Career) just like Sotirika
For anyone seeking a career in community health or hoping to make a tangible difference in their community, the AmeriCorps partnership with RMH-NY offers an incredible path forward. Whether it’s the chance to build a long-lasting career or the opportunity to support families in need, Sotirika’s story shows how AmeriCorps and RMH-NY can open doors to meaningful, life-changing work.
To inquire further about the AmeriCorps year of service position at MH-NY, please visit the organization’s website to learn more.
On the AmeriCorps Program’s Impact on Her Career Path:
"I think AmeriCorps really helped me realize that I was not in the path that I wanted to be in, and I really did want to make a change. If not, you learn something new and I think knowledge is so important. I honestly believe that only good things come out of anybody trying AmeriCorps at Ronald McDonald House New York."
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