|
|
|
|
Dear Friends of Doctors Without Walls,
A few weeks before Thanksgiving, I went to the post office to pick up the mail for Doctors Without Walls. I opened the following card which had a check for $1,000 enclosed. It brought tears to my eyes...
|
|
I was touched by the generosity of someone who was in such desperate financial circumstances. In many ways, this was the most poignant gift we have ever received. Randy was an unassuming, kind man who visited us weekly for five years at our clinics in the park. When he fell and broke his hip, our companion care volunteers helped him to get the medical care he needed. He was not yet 50 when he died of pancreatic cancer. He never wanted to discuss his childhood or what brought him to the streets, but said that more than anything, he wanted a family. A solitary person, he depended on Doctors Without Walls as his street family.
Sometimes it is difficult to witness the suffering we see on the streets. As we continue to care for people whose life circumstances are beyond our comprehension, it’s receiving a gift like Randy’s that makes it all worthwhile. In the end, Randy died, not on the street, but in a hospital with people who cared for him, including our compassionate volunteers.
Each year at this time, Doctors Without Walls appeals to our friends to help us sustain our humanitarian efforts to bring medical care to the streets of Santa Barbara. This past year, our Companion Care program helped 95 other homeless people like Randy by taking them to medical appointments, helping them navigate the healthcare system, and helping them understand their doctor’s assessment and treatment plan. Our 206 volunteers and 14 interns provided medical care to over 620 unique patients in over 1,400 encounters through street outreach, our clinics in the parks, and our Women’s Free Homeless Clinic. It is your generous support that makes all of this possible.
With appreciation and best wishes for the New Year,
Maria Long, Executive Director
Paul Jaconette, President
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
