1K are A-Okay

Who among us, as an adult, has ever been without health insurance? Actually, who has been without health insurance and had to face a medical emergency? I’m raising my hand. Being an uninsured adult facing a medical crisis or emergency is genuinely terrifying and unsettling. I know this because I’ve experienced it, twice, as an educated, experienced, working individual who decided to pursue a freelance career and had no insurance safety net. One “emergency” was relatively minor; the other was not. Fortunately, I lived in a city with a strong network of free clinics. Without them I would have found myself at an emergency room with a steep bill I could not pay or worse.

If you’ve been in the same situation and lived without health insurance you understand the anxiety that hovers over most of your days. If you also needed immediate medical care, that stress goes through the roof. At the time I barely considered healthcare; it wasn’t on my radar until it was. I was healthy until I wasn’t and needed treatment. We can’t always control what happens to us or when we may require medical care. Without the safety net of health insurance many people can find themselves in frightening situations. The Forsyth Community Clinic has opened its doors to be the safety net for those who need it, not just in dire situations but also to provide free, comprehensive, life-changing consistent care to uninsured, vulnerable adults in our community who need healthcare and peace of mind.

I was born and raised in Forsyth County. After many years away, I recently felt drawn back. Upon arrival I was offered the Executive Director position with the clinic. Since coming on board, I’ve passionately believed for this to be a thriving endeavor it needs to be driven and supported by the community, the community I grew up in and was shaped by. I’m on a mission to build the Forsyth Community Clinic to offer the same peace of mind and support that was given to me. A community that ensures its most vulnerable residents receive access to health care as a bridge to wellness and increased quality of life is a community that is both incredibly strong and caring and one in which I am blessed and proud to be a member. To achieve this goal I created a campaign, 1K are A-Okay, to find 100 donors willing to donate $1K so we can work toward treating our first 1K patients. Most uninsured patients are forced to choose the ER; the clinic is a vital alternative. Many patients choosing the ER would prefer to go somewhere more comprehensive in its approach and more personal.  Just as I was a freelancer who had to utilize a clinic, there are others in our community who are similar, as well as those who have other circumstances that put them in a position to need a free clinic. Either way, we all want to be healthy and feel good.

Certainly, blindly reaching and asking you to consider making a $1000 donation to an organization you possibly didn’t know existed is bold. $1k is a significant contribution. I acknowledge that and respect any trepidatious feelings you might have. All I ask is that you take a moment and consider the request. Visit our website (www.forsythcommunityclinic.org), shoot me an email, give me a call or maybe even meet me for a coffee and let me share more information with you. The clinic is here to help those who are in a position of need, much like I was when I needed that lifesaving helping hand.

I’m grateful for your time, for your consideration and for the threads that connect us all. If you cannot commit to the full $1K, please know there are no insignificant donations; there are other ways to donate, and we are grateful and moved by all of them.

Sincerely,

Evan Shoemake