July 7, 2026
José Rodriguez is the Health Federation of Philadelphia’s Senior Director of Employee and Community Engagement and has been a senior staffer at HFP since 2021.
In his current role, Rodriguez helps provide and supports opportunities for employees to engage with one another through various means, such as training sessions, workshops, and events, as well as strengthening the internal community at the Health Federation.
He has been a longtime fútbol fan (played fútbol for more than 12 years) and a cross country and track and field coach and competitor for over 10 years. He is an avid runner and participates in local and national road races ranging from 5K to half-marathons. He also has picked up biking in preparation for his first triathlon in 2027.
Rodriguez is part of the FIFA volunteer program, one of the supporting cast that makes the World Cup possible. Philadelphia played host to six tournament games and is one of 16 cities across three nations to do so.
Question: What led you to decide to seek a volunteer position with the World Cup effort in Philadelphia?
Answer: It has always been a dream of mine to attend a FIFA World Cup and when I found out it was going to be hosted in North America, I decided to apply to volunteer since Philadelphia was one of the host cities.
Q: What was the vetting, interview, and approval process like?
A: If you were selected to volunteer, you went through a four-stage vetting process. The first two steps were a lengthy application with scenarios and in-depth questions; the third was team tryouts and the final was a one-on-one interview with a staff member. This process took over one year to complete and I was notified in February that I was selected.
During the initial application, I had to rank my top three choices of position and I selected Accreditation as my top choice. During the training process for our specific job, we found out that over 32,000 individuals applied to volunteer in Philadelphia and fewer than 1,500 were selected. There were some volunteers who were not from the area. Philadelphia volunteers who I met during my time came from North Carolina, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and New York.
Q: Could you describe what the volunteer experience has been like? What have your general duties been as a volunteer?
A: Overall, I had a wonderful experience. I got to work with a wide range of individuals from all walks of life and experiences. Everyone showed their passion for fútbol, the world and Greater Philadelphia. My duties were to ensure that all non-tickets stakeholders, such as FIFA staff, participating teams, media representatives, elected officials, and volunteers receive their accreditation passes to take part in the tournament. This process involved verifying details, assisting in troubleshooting, and distributing accreditation passes.
Q: How has your professional role at the Health Federation been reflected in your volunteer experience?
A: There was a lot of direct experience which reflected in both roles (professional and volunteer). First and foremost — the ability to be open, welcoming and interact with a wide range of individuals. Listening skills were exceptionally key especially during my time volunteering, as English was not the primary language spoken by everyone I interacted with. Also, the ability to think outside of the box and troubleshoot.
Being bilingual (English and Spanish) made it much easier to assist individuals with questions and made people feel more welcome in approaching me while they were going through the process of accreditation, or while answering questions while walking through Philadelphia with my volunteer uniform. It reminded me of when I am visiting another country and locals assist me with my questions.
Q: What has been uniquely “Philadelphia” about your experiences as a volunteer?
A: I found it very interesting and funny at times when I was walking around Center City with my uniform and individuals would randomly come up to me and ask many questions. Seeing Philadelphia through other visitors' eyes is pretty neat and special.
Q: Is there anything funny, surprising, or strange that has happened while serving as a volunteer that you would like to share?
A: Yes, I took my Mom to the Fan Fest on Lemon Hill and it was a nice afternoon (we got there close to opening) and it was a lot of fun with many different vendors (mostly offered free contests) with great big screens where games or entertainment were being shown/performed. People were having a great time and were very friendly. Mama and I did get online to get the well-sought-after FIFA bracelets. This Fan Fest really surprised me how Philadelphia can put on a top rated sports event for all. So, if you haven’t gone to it … run and experience it with your friends/family. (The FIFA Fan Festival continues at Lemon Hill in East Fairmount Park through July 19.)
Q: Is there anything you would like to add about your volunteer experience that hasn’t been covered by these questions?
A: Fútbol was my first love, so FIFA World Cup is something I was raised watching, but I truly believe if you are a general sports fan (any sport) ... you would love experiencing volunteering and/or participating in the Fan Fest.
P.S.: I was fortunate enough to attend one of the games in Philadelphia (France vs. Iraq) and I have to tell you the energy by everyone (whether you were rooting for either team or not) was electrifying from the moment I got on Regional Rail to the game and back. Nothing I have ever experienced before and I hope I will experience something like it again. Because of this experience, I have decided to apply to be a volunteer for the LA28 Olympics. Just found out fútbol will be played in the NY/NJ area.
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About the Health Federation of Philadelphia
The Health Federation of Philadelphia is a public health nonprofit that promotes community health by advancing access to high-quality, integrated, comprehensive health and human services.
The Health Federation of Philadelphia serves as a keystone supporting a network of Community Health Centers as well as the broader base of public and private-sector organizations that deliver healthcare, public health and human services to vulnerable populations.