For Martin Townsend, volunteering has long been an important part of life. So, when he moved to east Tennessee several years ago, he began searching for a worthwhile organization to join. Cempa Community Care turned out to be the perfect fit.

Townsend’s move to Tennessee was made after decades spent in California. He and his family immigrated to the U.S. from Brazil when he was 15.

“I spent most of my life there [in California],” Townsend says. “For many of those years, I was a Navy Corpsman, which is a medic. After that, I worked outside of the military for a number of years. When I retired, I decided to move to Tennessee since the cost of living is lower and my son is here.”

That move also eventually brought him to Cempa.

Finding a New Place to Volunteer

Townsend has a long history of volunteering. While living in California, he began volunteering with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America, working with them for 12 years helping with the training of triathletes. 

Wondering about the connection between triathletes and this important cancer society? The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has a program called Team In Training, which uses triathlete events and training to raise funding for — and awareness of — cancer. For Townsend, this proved to be the perfect way to give back.

When he moved to Tennessee, he hoped to continue his work with the society. But the closest location was in Memphis, leaving him with a need to find another volunteering opportunity.

Enter Cempa.

A Place to Positively Impact Lives

In searching for a new outlet where he could give back to the community, Townsend came across what was then known as Chattanooga CARES. He thought the organization might be the right fit and went through training to administer HIV testing. 

Over time, as Cempa’s footprint and services expanded, Townsend also gained approval to perform hepatitis C testing and to work with the Step TN, Cempa’s needle exchange program.

This opportunity proved to be a perfect fit. Not only did Townsend have a background in medical care, but Cempa’s mission is also aligned with his goals in life.

“I want to positively impact people’s lives, one person at a time,” Townsend says. “What better way to do that than to volunteer with Cempa? Whether a test is positive or negative, we are still making a positive impact. If the test is negative, the person is happy. If the test is positive, we provide access to the services that person will need.”

After volunteering with the organization for several years now, Townsend still finds the work incredibly fulfilling. He believes that Cempa provides a vitally important service to Chattanooga and surrounding areas.

“Cempa has a tremendous capacity to positively impact the community,” Townsend says. “When you look at the staff, it is filled with individuals who have the same outlook on the community as I do — we’re all looking to provide quality care to others. There aren’t any other organizations that provide these essential services in such a magnificent way. 

“It’s incredible to think that the organization that I am supporting supports the community in such a vital way.”