May 2023 Newsletter
May was a wonderful month for Medical Missionaries! This month marked the success of the 2023 Caring Hearts Online Auction. Thanks to all who joined in!
As many of our volunteers are retired veterans, including Dr. Irwin who served as an Army Physician, we take the time to honor all American veterans who sacrificed their lives for our nation on Memorial Day.
During this month, we recognized the invaluable contribution of nurses, the essential role of families in the world, and extended warm wishes to everyone on Mother’s Day.
In this edition of our Newsletter, you will find updates on our work in Haiti, as well as information about the supplies and equipment we sent around the world, including our new team in Ukraine. Moreover, don’t forget to SAVE THE DATE for our Fall 2023 Gala on October 21st!
Local Community Volunteers
Two of our local community volunteers:
Matthew, a dedicated rising tenth grader, recently volunteered for Medical Missionaries during his ninth grade to fulfill his mandatory school service hours.
During his time with us, he successfully organized two food drives for our Rocklick Food Pantry in Grundy, Va. Additionally, he diligently completed administrative tasks and collected sporting equipment that will be delivered to the Monacan Native Lands by Dr. Irwin in late May. Matthew’s compassionate nature and commitment to helping the most vulnerable are evident in his dedicated efforts.
Aside from his volunteer work, Matthew is actively involved in travel soccer for McLean, has a passion for golfing, and enjoys engaging in family activities.
The team at Medical Missionaries is very grateful for Matthew and his compassionate spirit. He serves as an exceptional example of youth leadership, which is highly valued among our dedicated group of volunteers.
Curtis, another dedicated volunteer, helped spruce up our office by painting and doing spring cleaning!
St. Joseph Clinic Update
Medical Missionaries has recently acquired a new autoclave for St. Joseph Clinic, which is currently en route to Cap-Haitien via the Food for the Poor container. The autoclave plays a crucial role in decontaminating and sterilizing medical equipment and lab ware, enabling their safe reuse. However, utilizing the autoclave remains challenging due to the lack of reliable electricity from the grid. Fortunately, the Clinic is equipped with a diesel generator and solar panels, which serves as alternative power sources to meet their electricity needs.
We are pleased to report a significant decrease in cholera cases within the Haitian areas supported by St. Joseph Clinic. The Clinic remains dedicated to providing healthcare services to the underprivileged population in Haiti. On average, the Clinic attends to over 40 births and serves more than 700 patients each month.
We are excited to announce that our Annual Fall Gala will be held on Saturday October 21st at the Windy Knolls Farm in Gainesville, Va! Don’t forget to put the date on your calendar; we will have more news to share soon!
2023 Caring Heart Online Auction – A Big Success!
Dr. Irwin and Medical Missionaries extend their heartfelt appreciation to all those who participated in, donated to, enthusiastically bid and joyfully emerged as winners in the 2023 Caring Hearts Online Auction! Thanks to the lively bidding on over 90 items, we successfully raised over $3,000. We are immensely grateful for the support received from our local community and the various venues in Northern Virginia who donated items, and to all of you who bid on those items. Notably, the lottery tickets garnered the highest bid, surpassing their value by 400%! We hope the lucky winners find their tickets worth thousands!
The communities that benefit from fundraisers like this are profoundly grateful for your participation and support. We all recognize the positive impact of giving to others. Your contribution makes a significant difference, and we hope that you had a wonderful time bidding on and winning the different items. It’s worth noting that the warm and fulfilling feeling you experience from helping others is actually beneficial for your well-being too!
Thank You Community Partners
In April we spotlighted some of our many volunteers for National Volunteer Month. In May we are excited to share some of our many local partners. We will be updating our website with the various organizations that work with Medical Missionaries and highlighting their amazing support.
Medicine and Medical Equipment:
Capital Caring Hospice
MESS (Medical Equipment Support Services), Ashburn, Va.
UVA Community Health/Prince William Medical Center, Manassas
Birmingham Green Health Care Center, Manassas
Churches and Church Groups:
Senior Group: All Saints Church, Manassas
Knights of Columbus: George Brent Council
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Manassas
All Saints, Manassas
Sacred Heart, Manassas
Faith Christian Church/International Outreach Center, Warrenton, Va.
Wesley Chapel UMW/Methodist Women, Marshall Va.
Mt. Tabor, Vienna.
Schools:
Seton School, Manassas
Pennington Traditional School, Manassas
Various:
Free Clinics: Loudon, Prince William, Facquier, Warren, Front Royal and Arlington
Food Rescue
Lions Club: Fredericksburg, Manassas, Va.
ECHO (Ecumenical Community Helping Others), Springfield, Va.
Women Giving Back, Sterling, Va.
House of Mercy, Manassas
Rotary Club: Manassas, Vienna
Senior Group: All Saints Church, Manassas
Northern Virginia Diaper Bank.
Medical Missionaries partner organizations work with us in many ways, including donating supplies and equipment, food, hygiene items, etc., or by supporting our projects with financial donations.
Supplies and Equipment In and Out
Monacan Indian Nation, Va: Medical Missionaries has successfully collected sports equipment, hygiene products, school clothing and educational supplies for their trip to visit the Monacan Nation this month. Thank you to all who donated!
Rocklick Food Pantry, Grundy, Va: Once again, our dedicated volunteer, JD DeAmicis, has made the 16-hour round trip to Grundy this month. Additionally, Dr. Bazaco will drive a second trailer loaded with essential supplies such as food, clothing, hygiene products and other much-needed items in early June so if you would like to donate, please let us know.
We are delighted to share the exciting news that Pat and Jerry Skeens, the coordinators of the Pantry, have graciously agreed to be our guest performers at our Fall Gala on October 21st! They will enchant us with the beautiful sounds and songs of their native Appalachia. Stay tuned for more updates and details on this special event.
Cap-Haitien, Haiti: The container packed with medical supplies, clothing and other items by Medical Missionaries is en route to Haiti. The container has over 250 boxes for St. Joseph Clinic, Food For Poor projects and Dr. Macklin’s hospital in Cap-Haitien. We will advise you of its journey!
Ukraine: Monte Dunard, a retired Marine and pilot, has been undertaking flights between Ukraine and Poland with the sole purpose of delivering essential supplies to aid the people of Ukraine. These critical missions play a significant role in providing nutrition to refugees and transporting substantial quantities of medical supplies.
Following Monte’s introduction to our team at the Manassas office, we initiated the collection of much-needed items required by frontline units, civilian hospitals and clinics in Ukraine. Monte has been kind enough to share updates of his journeys and send photographs that offer glimpses of life on the frontlines. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to alleviating suffering in the region. Monte and his team proudly describe themselves as “mule loading bags and courageously forging ahead.”
