I had never heard of Good News Clinics until I went to the funeral of a friend who was a long-time volunteer. During one of the eulogies there, someone mentioned what a difference the volunteer work of my friend had made in his own life, and I was convinced that I needed to step in and volunteer myself. That was nine years ago. Now, every Wednesday, I help with patient applications and intake.

And there isn’t a Wednesday when I don’t go home and thank God for the life I’ve had.

We see all different types of people in the Clinics, from the working poor, those who really can only afford a place to live and groceries on the table, to those who have worked all their lives and are now living on a Social Security retirement check of just $450 per month. Healthcare is too expensive for them, but they deserve it, just as much as anybody else.

Recently, a man in his early 30’s with a wife and two kids, came to the Clinics. He had epilepsy and worked in manufacturing. He was told it would be unsafe for him to work and a liability for the company if he couldn’t get his seizures under control. Because he was laid off, he and his family couldn’t afford their rent and ended up living in the Budget Motel. The day he came into the Clinics, he had just paid for his last week and didn’t have any more money to pay for another week at the motel, much less to pay for any medication that could help him manage his epilepsy. The Clinics took him in as a patient, where he has been given the care he needs to manage his condition enabling him to go back to work and provide for his family.

I’ve had people come to the Clinics, ashamed to be there because they’ve been laid off or an unexpected health condition left them unable to pay bills or rent. But with the healthcare they can get at Good News Clinics, they are able to live a better, more productive life, with dignity and hope. And that’s only possible because of the generosity of this community.