Mobile Medical Ministry October 2020 Newsletter

MUMC MOBILE MEDICAL MINISTRY NEWSLETTER

October 2020

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

As members of MUMC, we continue our commitment to providing the congregation updates of what is happening with the mobile medical ministry, and how you may provide support and become involved.

Due to the COVID pandemic, in March we temporarily stopped the Mobile Medical’s monthly visits to 4^th Avenue UMC, Buechel UMC and The Lord’s Kitchen.   But it has not stopped us completely.

Accomplishments:

• In our February update, we spoke of plans to remodel the Mobile Medical office located inside the lobby of the gym. Thanks to a couple of generous donors and some volunteer muscle, we accomplished our goal. We installed new shelving, reused some shelves that were on the wall, and bought new storage bins.  We were also able to move our patio heaters, tents, tables and chairs to the outside garage on the side of the gym.   The room looks great and is much more efficient and functional.
• We forgot to send a big thank you to Brian Wyatt in our February newsletter for the dollies he built for us. We have three large bins with drawers that we have to transport to each site.  Even though the bins had wheels, the wheels did not stand up to being pulled across asphalt and concrete repeatedly.  So now we have wooden dollies with sturdy wheels and handles that enable us to setup anywhere.
• We were able to present the “Choose Water” education program to 195 children before the pandemic shut everything down. We still have plans to present the program at the Portland Promise Center hopefully early next year.  We also have purchased books on healthier eating and the importance of water for the libraries of those locations where the program has or will be presented.
• We received a 2020 Good Samaritan grant for flu vaccines. We have provided over 100 vaccines at this time at 4^th Avenue UMC’s outreach to the homeless and underserved, The Healing Place Men’s Campus, The Healing Place Women’s Campus and the MUMC preschool and day care staff.   We will be visiting EAMC the week of November 1^st to offer the vaccine to their clients.  We would like to thank the U of L vaccine clinic for selling us the vaccines at their cost.

Upcoming Events:

• We will be visiting EAMC November 3rd to offer the vaccine to their clients. We will also be offering the vaccine at Buechel UMC on November 14^th.  We would like to thank the U of L vaccine clinic for selling us the vaccines at their cost.
• We will be meeting with The Healing Place staff to discuss opportunities for the Mobile Medical Ministry to provide additional support to their program. The residents and staff were so appreciative and kind to us.  In addition to the flu vaccines, we were able to provide Bibles, toiletry gift bags, readers, Chapstick and packages of peanut butter crackers.
• Our hope is that in early 2021 we will be able to resume our monthly visits at selected locations including 4^th Avenue UMC and The Healing Place campuses.

How may you help:

• We Need Providers. We acquire new providers and nurses primarily through word of mouth or people seeing the ministry in action.  We still need additional physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses as we look at opportunities to expand locations for the ministry to visit.   The commitment is two hours per month.  If you have any acquaintances or know of anyone in the community who might be interested in becoming involved, Nancy Tinnell, Roni Evans and/or Cindy Wyatt would be happy to talk to the individual and answer any questions they may have.
• Donations
  • We would like to express our appreciation to recent donors – Koinonia Sunday School class and a second donor that has chosen to remain anonymous. Other than the Good Samaritan grants we receive, the ministry does not have any other source of funding, so monetary donations are always appreciated.
• Your prayers
  • We felt led by God to establish this ministry and have been blessed in many ways with the opportunities and gifts we have received. It is amazing to watch how when we are not sure how we will take the next step everything falls into place and we have what we need. We ask for your continued prayers as we move forward, excited to see where God takes this ministry next.

MUMC Mobile Medical Ministry Committee

Cindy Wyatt, Nancy Tinnell, Janis Borders, Roni Evans, Donna Myers, Jamie Newton, and Ann Thrasher.