NHI Students, Ricardo Rodriguez & Diana Suarez, Volunteer Massage Therapy with the Care Through Touch Institute
Care Through Touch Institute’s (CTI) mission is to care for and educate poor and marginalized people by providing massage therapy and holistic health practices that transform body, mind and spirit.
The heart and practice of this healing service is born out of founder and executive director Mary Ann Finch’s experience of living and volunteering as a massage therapist in leprosarium’s throughout India. Today, CTI’s trained massage practitioners provide care through touch, and emotional and spiritual support to the homeless. They serve veterans of war, elderly people, people afflicted with threatening illnesses, addictions, mentally ill people, and women and children fleeing domestic violence.
This past week, NHI students, Ricardo Rodriguez and Diana Suarez from the San Francisco campus were both featured in the Care Through Touch Institute’s newsletter for volunteering massages over the past year. Ricardo and Diana were recognized for their ability to exhibit exquisite sensitivity to the needs for care among the homeless community. Ricardo lives in the Tenderloin neighborhood and because of his day-to-day interactions with folks, felt a desire to offer his massage therapy skills to them. Diana grew up in San Francisco, and has long been troubled by what she sees within the homeless community. Diana knew that she could help by touching the homeless with her abundance of care and compassion.
At National Holistic Institute, we are so proud of Ricardo and Diana for their service to their communities. Caring touch is not just about physical touch, but about touching the deep spiritual and emotional needs of our communities, leading both clients and massage therapists into spaces of trust, respect and responsibility.
The Care Touch Institute welcomes open-hearted individuals who are committed to making a difference in the lives of the poor. Certified massage therapists and students trained in a variety of modalities including: acupressure, Reiki, healing touch, reflexology and others are encouraged to volunteer.
Massage therapy is an excellent career path for those seeking a rewarding career where you can make an immediate positive impact in the lives of others. Fill out the form on the following page and a member of our admissions team to find out how you can get started on having work you love.