During these uncertain times, how can we help?

As the world leader in volunteerism we feel a responsibility to unite our broader community, and to use this moment to become stronger.

See below to access our COVID-19 Resource Hub, and to explore our growing directory of COVID-19-specific and virtual volunteering opportunities.

COVID-19 RESOURCES | COVID-19 VOLUNTEERING | VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Read More

United For Health

Cause Area

Children & Youth
Community
Health & Medicine
Homeless & Housing

Location

3021 Telegraph Ave. # BBerkeley, CA 94705 United States

Request Admin Access

Share

Organization Information

Mission Statement

United for Health since 1999 has provided quality education, information, and accessibility to direct services for youth and adults to better their health and wellbeing. Our services include youth specific projects that incorporate peer counselors and educators to further motivate clients to seek help and get peer support simultaneously. All services are free to the young clients and confidential, eliminating any barriers to treatment.

Description

The scope of our work at United for Health includes treatment for substance abuse, general health, nutrition, mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, ADD ,ADHD and bipolar conditions, anger management and self esteem issues.

The modalities of treatment are acupuncture, group and individual counseling sessions. Support groups involving professional health practitioners and peer educators take place on a weekly basis.

The acupuncture component consists of group treatments for chemical dependency, anxiety, depression and anger control. This is a 5 day a week activity to promote consistency and sobritty.

Reviews

by Tina K. from CA (January 3, 2021)

My volunteer experience at the drop-in acupuncture with the acupuncturist Hope has been phenomenal. Although the COVID-19 pandemic ended my position, I still look back fondly at my time at this clinic. I interacted with many patients, even developing friendly connections with those who regularly came every week. My responsibilities included preparing food for patients, picking up food donations, greeting incoming patients at the front desk, interacting with other admin, and cleaning up. I thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with Hope, learning more about acupuncture and aspects of health. She is a person of great knowledge! Anyone who is interested in helping individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds at this health setting will look forward to volunteering every week as I did.

Flag as Inappropriate

by Caroline S. (December 11, 2020)

I volunteered with Ashby Health Center for almost a year. Unfortunately my time was cut short due to the COVID-19 restrictions that occurred in March 2020. The time I spent at the clinic was a truly rewarding experience. My supervisor Hope is delightful and has great insight and wisdom to share. The work she does to support the community's low income population is definitely inspiring. In alignment with United for Health's mission statement the clinic supplies services such as food, counseling, access to a doctor and acupuncture to underserved and at-risk populations in the area. I cannot recommend volunteering here enough. It is not a huge commitment (3hrs/week), yet you are able to develop relationships with clients who return weekly due to the kinship fostered by the clinic. You learn valuable skills such as working with EHR software, gain clinical exposure and give back to the community. Hope is also eager to treat volunteers with acupuncture–an added perk I also recommend:)

Flag as Inappropriate

by Caiyun Y. (November 29, 2020)

I volunteered at the Acupuncture Detox Clinic for 8 months and it was definitely a great learning experience. Hope was my supervisor and the work she does for Bay Area's low-income community is amazing and inspiring. I've volunteered and worked at other non-profit organizations in the past but United for Health's mission to provide health services to underserved and at-risk populations aligns closely with the work I would like to do in the future. Hope is very knowledgeable in the field. I recommend volunteering here if you're looking for some clinical exposure (only 3 hours per week). Although I mainly performed administrative tasks and managed the front office, I was also able to foster relationships with regular clients. You really get to know and connect with them since these clients keep coming back because of the clinic's quality services such as free acupuncture. You’re contributing to a good cause and making a difference by volunteering here, so I definitely recommend it!

Flag as Inappropriate

by Olivia H. from Berkeley, CA (August 19, 2019)

Volunteering at the Lifelong Acupuncture Clinic was a great experience. I helped out for about 8 months, assisting with data entry, patient intake, and managing the space. I would still be there if it were not for a scheduling conflict. This opportunity is a great blend of direct service and administrative support. Hope, the acupuncturist who runs the clinic, is a great supervisor. She is incredibly knowledgeable of the community whom she is serving, and is very supportive. As a volunteer, you get to build relationships with the regulars who come into the clinic.

Flag as Inappropriate

by Mia H. (August 13, 2019)

Hope's acupuncture clinic is a great place for people to get together and grab some food and get an acupuncture treatment. My experience volunteering for the past 2 months has been extremely rewarding in terms of learning about the community and what Hope does for everyone who comes in. I would definitely come back again!

Flag as Inappropriate

by Kelsey M. (August 8, 2019)

Hope is an incredibly kind and caring acupuncturist. I interned with Lifelong this summer and made it a point to help Hope clean up after walk-in acupuncture clinic every Tuesday through Thursday because it was always amazing to see the incredibly warm and welcoming community. People consistently come in for acupuncture for the community and great care, and it is incredible to get to know them (and Hope!) while helping out. It never felt like a chore, and it was a true honor to get to work with Hope. I am sad that my schedule doesn't allow me to volunteer with her during the school year, otherwise I certainly would. The next volunteer is very lucky to have the opportunity to work there!

Flag as Inappropriate

by Justin B. (April 27, 2019)

It was such a privilege to be able to be a part of this amazing clinic. I got to interact with patients, learn firsthand about how to develop relationships with them and got to be a part of a really cherished part of the community that a ton of people in the area rely on for everything from food to healthcare - because Hope, the person who makes it all possible, sees to it that peoples' needs are met in a wholistic and impactful way that has kept people coming back for 20+ years. If you are pre-med or pre-health and are looking for an opportunity, you will not find a more meaningful one than this. You get to be a part of everything from the logistics of the clinic to actually interacting with patients and developing your person to person skills. Plus, you will get to know Hope who is a role model to me for what a healthcare provider should be. She will teach you so much about what it means to care for people and expand your horizons about what constitutes care. You won't regret it.

Flag as Inappropriate

by Masami A. from CA (August 19, 2017)

Volunteering at acupuncture clinic has been a great experience. I have been able to interact with patients of diverse backgrounds. Volunteers work closely with the acupuncturist to ensure a smooth-running clinic, so the work feels meaningful. The acupuncturist is very caring of both patients and volunteers, and is also knowledgable about many different aspects of health so she is very intriguing to talk to. Overall a friendly environment.

Flag as Inappropriate

by Josie B. (August 16, 2017)

I volunteered at the acupuncture detox clinic in order to fulfill a community service requirement for my school, but I stayed until well after my hours were finished because of how much I enjoyed helping out this cause. With the combination of acupuncture, professional counseling, a weekly walk-in doctor visit and a nutritious meal, the detox clinic provides the community with an accessible, drug-free approach to healing issues like chronic pain, substance abuse, and mental health symptoms. Hope, the woman who runs the clinic, has made a huge impact in the Berkeley community as a healer and a nutritionist, and as a supervisor she is just as encouraging as she is informative. The psychologist and the doctor are also extremely welcoming and are great people to talk to in regards to their professional field. This volunteer opportunity would be great for anyone interested in holistic healing, the psychology field, or pre-med.

Flag as Inappropriate

by Tonya S. from Oakland, CA (November 21, 2016)

It's a well-known local hospital, close to public transportation.

Flag as Inappropriate

by Edward H. (April 18, 2016)

I have been volunteering at United for Health's Acupuncture and Detox Clinic for the past 11 months. I really enjoy working here! It is very gratifying to work with some of the Bay Area's most underserved communities. I've made some great friends here and learned a lot about the efficacy of acupuncture. I highly recommend volunteering here!

Flag as Inappropriate

by Annie B. from Berkeley, CA (April 15, 2016)

I worked with Hope in her clinic for 2+ years and really enjoyed it. She does such good work to help people control their craving and other health issues in positive and healthy ways. You really feeling like you are doing something to help people while working there.

Flag as Inappropriate

by Lauren M. from CA (April 14, 2016)

This is an awesome organization and Hope is a great person to work with. United For Health is doing so many good things for the community, I'm honored to be volunteering at the Detox Clinic - the people who come in are constantly talking about how much Hope does for them and thanking me for being there. Volunteering at the Clinic is an easy 3 hours per day to help run a very much needed service for the homeless and low-income community... volunteer with United For Health in any context if you get the chance! It's good work, really enriching, worth giving time to.

Flag as Inappropriate

by Conan L. (April 13, 2016)

I have been volunteering here since January 2016 and I've enjoyed every part of it! This is a low commitment volunteer position (just 3 hr/wk!) so it's easy to do, but it still provides the rewarding interactions with patients that I was looking for. Some of the obligations include preparing food for the patients and providing additional information and flyers about homeless resources and other acupuncture opportunities. A majority of the patients are low income, homeless, or recovering drug addicts, which makes this position a great one for learning more about their lives and some of the problems faced by underserved communities. My favorite part of volunteering is watching the clinic become busier and more active every week - it's cool to have a sense of growth and a mission of helping more people every week. Hopefully this growth will allow Hope to receive more funding in the future so the patients can receive even more care! Overall, highly recommended. You'll enjoy it a lot!

Flag as Inappropriate

by Lisa C. from Sacramento, Ca (December 6, 2010)

I'm currently volunteering for this program after I discovered it on this website, and I highly recommend this program to anyone wishing to make a difference in the community. UFH is a wonderful experience for me and each time I volunteer, I learn something new about the people, administration, or about myself. I work directly with the coordinator and she is a inspiring mentor and professional that is always working around the clock to make sure that all her clients get the quality care they deserve. Don't worry too much if you're not too experienced in some area, UFH does a great job in making sure that everyone is comfortable performing a given task and is willing to train volunteers. I guarantee that you'll feel proud of the work you put in because everyone constantly thanks you for it and there are direct results that you can witness. If you need anymore reasons to help out UFH, feel free to contact me and I could tell you more about my experiences working there.

Flag as Inappropriate

by Cindy N. (December 4, 2010)

I've volunteered with United for Health before and I can honestly say that it was a wonderful experience! I actually felt like I was making a difference and doing something good with my time. I've volunteered elsewhere as well, but a lot of other volunteer positions mostly include volunteers doing grunt work or just standing around not really doing anything. Boring! And definitely not helpful at all, for them or for you. If you're looking for a real experience, this is it!

Flag as Inappropriate

by Lori C. (December 1, 2010)

This is a great opportunity to work with youth. It is a great program and will provide excellent expirence in the field of mental and physical health care. I currently work as a counselor in the adult program and have found it to be exceptionally rewarding both personally and profressionaly. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to work with youth using a holistic approch to health care.

Flag as Inappropriate

by H D. (December 1, 2010)

I highly recommend United for Health if you are looking for a great opportunity to gain practical experience. This is a unique opportunity to gain hands on experience working with mental health, substance abuse, and connecting with Berkeley youth.

Flag as Inappropriate

Report this organization