While the headlines are saturated with discussions around who is entitled to health care and who should pay, there are thousands of American’s that cannot get basic health care in their communities because of financial disparity and lack of access. These are the poor underserved, under-privileged and under-insured Americans.
Spirit of Luke Charitable Foundation made a decision more than 17 years ago to make it our mission to help. Dr. Sandra Ford’s personal experience of growing up in the Alabama Black Belt, and watching poor neighbors and family members struggle to get access to health care, basic necessities and spiritual counseling sometimes resulting in loss of life, lead us to form “A Promise to HELP” Missions in 2003. Our commitment then and now is to:
• Ask for Volunteer HELP
• Identify the needs of the people, matching skilled Volunteers to meet the need
• Ask for supplies, equipment, facilities and resources needed to fulfill the need
• Share the vision of God's Love with all that will listen
• Protect the vision
• “Do what we can Do”
While others talk about health care disparity, the Spirit of Luke Charitable Foundation and “A Promise to HELP” Missions is grateful for our attempt to do what we can do to close the disparity gap by traveling to the Alabama Black Belt Region on the first Saturday of the month for 15 years. Our mission includes providing free medical services and counseling to the people of the Black Belt, where diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and other cardiac conditions are very prevalent, and has a very debilitating impact on the quality of life. This Black Belt region includes, but is not limited to, small rural towns like Livingston, Midway, Union Town, Gees Bend, Fort Deposit, Coy, Clio and Vredenburgh.
During the 17 years of service, “A Promise to HELP” has had nearly 7,500 volunteers to deliver medical examinations and treatment to more than 6,800 patients, provided approximately 22,500 hot meals, distributed over 17,500 bags of clothes and 3,750 book bags, while offering spiritual counseling and conversion to nearly 3,100 men, women and children.
Although much has been accomplished, there is yet more that can be done. With the advances in teleheath, wearable medical devices, electronic medical records and much more, our mission continues but with an expanded focus to leverage these new advances to reach more. No one has more experience than Spirit of Luke and APTH in closing the health care disparity gap in rural areas of Alabama or across America.
We ask you our friends and colleges to join us in our mission to expand our efforts to close the health care gap in rural America with donations of your time, your talents and resources (both in-kind and financial). After many years of service, our medical van has seen many miles; our medical equipment could be upgraded, so we can work smarter and not harder and our mission can be expanded to reach more. Regardless of what is decided in Washington DC or the State Capital, poor under-serviced, under-privileged and under-insured people still need medical help and as long as it’s “God’s will” our mission will continue.
“A Promise To HELP” is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, so your donations or company matching donations will be tax deductible. We hope that you will make the decision to not be a bystander in this great health care divide and make a donation to “A Promise to HELP”.
To Make Your Donation, please detach the form below and return it to Spirit of Luke Charitable Foundation with your financial contribution or information regarding your in-kind contributions (such as: cars, furniture, clothing, property, etc.)
Regards,
Henry M. Ford
Executive Director
Spirit of Luke Charitable Foundation &
A Promise to HELP Missions
