Is There Anything I Can Help You With?

Jordan (left) with Miranda (right)

Jordan Tilton’s Service Story:

“All of NDMV’s values—especially holistic education—empower the whole person to make a difference.”
— Jordan, NDMV member, Atlanta, Georgia

Jordan moved from Baltimore, Maryland, to Atlanta, Georgia, to take a gap year before potentially attending Emory or GSU for a Master’s of Public Health program. During her year of service, she has had the opportunity to assist refugees and asylum-seeking individuals in receiving access to healthcare. 

During her service year, she is gaining hands-on experience every day by scheduling appointments, giving rides, and helping clients navigate the complicated web of healthcare, social services, and new life in the United States. 

Jordan says, “We send our clients to many different hospitals and clinics. We help direct them to the clinics. It's confusing sometimes.” She is grateful for the opportunities to come alongside her clients during challenging times.

Recently, one of her clients needed help getting to a hospital appointment on the fifth floor of a large building. The building lacked clear signage, and the client—new to the U.S. and with limited English—was lost and confused. When she called Jordan, Jordan explained that she would need to take the elevator. But then came something Jordan didn’t expect:

Her client had never used an elevator before.

“It was difficult to navigate something like that—we use elevators every day,” Jordan shared. Rather than simply giving directions, Jordan recognized a learning moment that could remove barriers for years to come. Using photos, sketches, and support from an interpreter, she patiently walked her through every step. By the end, her client not only reached the appointment but also gained confidence in a skill that will serve her well into the future.

Moments like this are the heart of NDMV’s mission: accompanying people through both life’s big transitions and its smallest, most human moments of learning. Jordan even teaches clients to use Google Translate so they can understand their own medical forms—fostering autonomy, dignity and confidence.

Jordan’s favorite question to ask her clients is, “Is there anything else I can help you with?" If she can’t help them directly, she can connect them to other departments that help them find jobs, and finance support–all the support equates to her clients being healthy and cared for. Through that simple practice, Jordan has come to understand what holistic education truly looks like in action.

Jordan says, “I really resonated with the theme of this year: Love in Action. It is powerful in a time like this. Even if you are non-denominational or not a part of the catholic sphere, NDMV is something everyone can be a part of. That is something I really loved.”