Volunteer Becomes a Regular Face at Dahlia Campus

Phillip Galaviz had never regularly volunteered in his community before. Now, he works at the farm stand or aquaponics greenhouse at Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being two times a week.

Phillip Galaviz volunteers at Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being’s aquaponic greenhouse.

“There’s something to be said about helping others and being engaged to see the difference that you’re making happen in real time,” he said. “To me, that’s what volunteering is. It’s that human connection.”

Supporting Suicide Prevention

A tragic event in his life propelled him to get involved with volunteering, and it’s now a big part of his life. A friend of his named Ali had died by suicide.

So, Phillip wanted to support suicide prevention efforts. He found out more about Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being through his friend Jenna Smith, Aquaponics Manager at the WellPower, and learned about the organization’s suicide prevention efforts and resources.

Phillip decided to give a financial donation to our organization and was inspired donate his time and talents to make an even bigger impact. 

“Helping others is an outward expression. It’s human nature and our natural ability to want to be engaged and involved,” he said. “If you can step out of your bubble and find something to do for someone else, there’s a shift that happens.”

He volunteered at Dahlia Campus’ annual fish fry last June, and then he started volunteering at the farm stand on Wednesdays and the aquaponics greenhouse on Fridays.

“Now I’m a regular face around here,” he said. “I really just want to do as much as I can.”

Well-Being is an ‘Everybody Thing’

Philip owns a company called SoundOff, which provides audio services for fitness events around the city, and he’s been able to fit consistent volunteer time into his busy schedule.

“It’s easy to get entangled in the stresses of our lives,” he said. “People think they don’t have time. But you make time, you carve out time, and you make it important in your life. Once it happens, you see how easy it is.”

At the farm stand, he helps with organizing and distributing food boxes. He loves to help with the customer service aspect when neighbors visit the campus and want to find out how they can participate in the food box program.

“People love having this option to get fresh vegetables, so I started seeing some traction,” he said. “I see people who regularly come to get a food box, and it’s so great to see the same smiling faces.”

Volunteering at Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being has helped Phillip learn that well-being is an “everybody thing.” 

“These services are for everybody,” he said. “And this place is made for everyone.”

Volunteer with Us

Interested in volunteering with us? Click here to see current opportunities and learn how to apply to be a volunteer.

You can also drop in to the Dahlia Campus Market Farm on the first Saturday of the month from 10 am to noon to volunteer. Activities may include beautification, weeding, seeding, harvesting, transplanting, fertilizing, bed building and cover cropping. Feel free to bring a lunch and relax at the farm following your time volunteering.