ADOPT A CLINIC

The Good Samaritan Clinic in Batey 7, Dominican Republic, is the main “outreach program” of the WNCC Medical Volunteers in Mission Committee. Beginning with a dream in 2000, the
clinic has been fully operational since 2002. The clinic primarily serves the medical needs of an impoverished community – surrounded by sugar cane fi elds – of 1,200 people, yet its work reaches well into the extended region, serving over 17,000.

The clinic is staffed by a full-time physician and health care support staff. It sees 75-100 patients a week. In addition, visiting mission teams supplement the efforts, performing close to
300 much-needed, often-delayed surgeries and outreach clinic visits. Over 1,000 patients are seen yearly.

With involvement of these volunteers, other projects to improve the medical health of the ommunity have been conducted. These projects include health education classes, the building of
latrines and the provision of a new water purifi cation system. This commitment to improve the economic health of the community resulted in the building of an educational building which will soon begin sewing technical classes and baking classes. The hope is that this will bring much needed income to the area.

Without the Good Samaritan Clinic’s presence, none of this could have happened. God is truly at work in this place and those being served truly feel the love of Christ’s hands through Christ’s
followers. While it is nearly assured all of the 2009 fi nancial concerns will be met, we see 2010 fi nances to be troubling. Individuals and churches are asked to consider placing the Good
Samaritan Clinic in their 2010 budget as a conference Advance Special by “adopting a clinic for a day.”

The clinic is open approximately 250 days a year — for $100 a day, 250 churches/
individuals can assure this vital ministry will continue. Choose a day — birthday, anniversary, life-changing date, … Share it with the conference Mission/Outreach offi ce. Following the day, we can have the Good Samaritan Clinic share a report on how lives were changed on “your day.”

Contact mcollins@wnccumc.org to learn more about this developing project

Container Building in Dominican Republic

A new project is being conducted near Batey 7. Many residents are refugees from Haiti who entered the DR seeking work during the sugar cane season. As immigrants, they are generally not recognized or supported by the government.

To address this problem, several UM churches are partnering with offenders and ex-offenders through the Forsyth Jail and Prison Ministries to construct a school made of three shipping
containers. An UMVIM construction crew, led by Darrell Long, will install a foundation for the school and provide a roof to cover the containers, to be located along the medical clinic’s back property.

This school will be used for the education of children, the vocational training of women and various purposes of the local church/clinic. Support for employment and education will increase
opportunities for children and family. Collaboration with church volunteers also encourages community residents to take a more active role in improving their living conditions, education,
medical services and neighborhoods. The local church will supply teachers and vocational skill possibilities.

Needs and opportunities:
• Prayer: for trained workers, energy, supplies and fi nances;
• Building Materials: nails, screws, caulking, iron support beams, plywood, lumber (2x4’s for desks and decking), welding equipment, angle iron (1/4” thickness), Door and window supplies;
• Funding to purchase supplies and some air fare.

Get involved.
Contact:
mcollins@wnccumc.org,
darrell@berothoil.com or
chaplainstilwell@forsythjpm.org