Personal Letter from Shepherd's Hope

Dear Friend of Shepherd’s Hope:

It’s been quite a year, hasn’t it? It certainly has been a year to remember for Shepherd’s Hope. Shepherd’s Hope provided its 100,000^th free medical visit! We reach this milestone with mixed emotions, since it speaks to the incredible commitment of our volunteers and donors who have sustained this program for the past twelve years. But, sadly it also speaks to the enormous need for medical care for the uninsured and the working poor.

To ensure that Shepherd’s Hope can provide the next 100,000 patient visits, we have launched our 100,000 Faces of Hope campaign. Our goal is to raise $100,000 by the end of 2009, with each dollar representing one of the past and future 100,000 faces seeking hope and healing.

Janet had been sick on and off for several months but couldn’t afford to see a doctor. Thankfully, someone told her about Shepherd’s Hope. Janet walked into a Shepherd’s Hope Health Center one evening with her four year old daughter, Katy. Not wanting to leave Katy unattended in the waiting room, her mother brought her into the exam room when she met with the volunteer physician. When the doctor, finished with the exam, something unexpected happened. Katy flew across the room toward the doctor. “Thank you for making my Mommy better,” she said as she hugged him. Katy’s mother along with the volunteer nurse and the physician were momentarily stunned. No one knew that little Katy has been so worried about her mother. There were tears in the eyes of everyone in the room that night. Sometimes the faces of hope at Shepherd’s Hope are not the one’s we expect. The face of hope might be a patient, or a loved one or even a volunteer.

Will you help us bring hope to all those who will seek care at one of our health centers by making generous year-end gift if you can. Perhaps you would consider making a gift to the Faces of Hope campaign in honor of someone you love? Just click here to make a donation.

We wish you and your family peace and joy as well as good health during this season of hope,

Cindi Kopelman

President

Rose Draper is a Face of Hope

Rose Draper is a face of hope.

Rose has always had insurance, until her husband Les, a computer programmer, lost his job after working for the same company for over ten years. Recently, when Rose was experiencing excruciating pain in her stomach, she didn’t know where to turn. “I had a fever of 102, and couldn’t walk. When you’re in pain, and you don’t have money or health insurance, it makes your life so hard,” she says. After a few days of being unable to get out of bed, a friend told her about Shepherd’s Hope.

Rose waited hours at one of the clinics to see a Shepherd’s Hope volunteer doctor. The lines are long these days as more and more people are out of work, and without insurance. Rose was patient, though, and grateful to be seen by Dr. Brian Wolsey, a volunteer OB/GYN who ordered additional tests through a special partnership with area hospitals. Rose was diagnosed with a severe infection in her ovaries, but thankfully got the treatment she needed. With strong antibiotics, she was better in a matter of days. “I don’t know what would have happened without Shepherd’s Hope. My infection was so bad, and my ovaries so swollen, I may have died. You never know”.

Now that Rose is healthy again, she has returned to the clinic to thank the people who gave her hope. When she saw Dr. Wolsey, her eyes lit up, and she ran to hug him. “You saved my life”, Rose told him. Her story is inspiring, but not unusual. In fact, Shepherd’s Hope volunteers have provided over 100,000 patient visits for patients just like Rose. That’s 100,000 opportunities to provide hope and healing for people who are sick and need to know that someone cares. It’s hard to imagine what would have happened to those patients without Shepherd’s Hope. To ensure there are 100,000 patient visits in the future, Shepherd’s Hope needs your help. The organization is now trying to raise $100,000 by the end of the year to continue the healing. Each dollar raised will represent a patient visit, and will help provide future care for those in need. Please consider giving…. just log on to www.shepherdshope.org.

By doing so, you can put a smile on another face of hope.