I had the best day at work today. It was another grown up day. I started out in our office downtown on Overton, then went an orientation meeting with the Coalition of Community Heath Clinics - the coalition that our clinic and 12 others like it belong to that are providing no-to-low cost health care for those that our health care system has left in the dust. The people at the coalition are the people who help clinics communicate to each other, share resources and ideas, and they are the ones that put into motion all the referrals that I start during clinic. To have this incredible network of advocacy and support for those who are not provided for by the government is incredible. These people do amazing things and I am so excited to be a part of the work they have set in motion.
After orientation it was off to a manager's meeting/happy hour hosted by the coalition. Yet another venue for clinic managers to update each other on the new happenings in their clinics and try and help each other trouble shoot. I ate my fondu and listened to Angie from Inside Out talk about her need for a new Dermatologist to direct the tattoo removal program. This may seem somewhat trivial, but tattoo removal for someone who is trying to get out of the gang scene and turn their life around, or a man who got a swastika tattooed on his chest in prison and now has a two year son and doesn't want his son to grow up in an environment of hate, or a homeless youth with tattoos all over their face trying to get a job and get off the street Tattoo removal can mean rebirth.
These people running these clinics are Saints. They are crusaders for love and respect. They want everyone to claim their human right to live a full and healthy life. Without the coalition, thousands of people would have no where to go. I was doing a referral tonight and as the man left my office he said to me "It's such an incredible service you people do. You have no idea." Another woman shook my hand earnestly and said "Que dios te bendiga. Muchisimas gracias" - God bless you. Thank you so much.
I am glad you have people telling you how much your work means, because it is true. I love hearing about your work, and I am so glad you are doing this for the year. I hope things with your roommates are improving, it definitely will be slow, and it is definitely a tough thing to start living with a bunch of strangers (I have nostalgia for past roommates:)) Love love
ReplyDeletei love reading these!! sounds like what you are apart of is perfect, may God's blessings fall on you like seattle rain... or flood you like Burkina rain :)
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