Message of Gratitude from Dr. Irwin
Thanksgiving! With so many challenges facing the world, it’s a welcome respite to pause, reflect, and give thanks for our many blessings. Life today is more complex than ever, and it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters.
On behalf of everyone at Medical Missionaries, we wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Despite the obstacles, our mission to help the less fortunate continues. We are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you who joins us on this journey.
God Bless All!
Dr Gil Irwin
St. Joseph Clinic
Every Wednesday, Dr. Kornetsky connects with Junior Saint Fleur, the manager of St. Joseph Clinic, Thomassique, Haiti, to discuss the latest happenings. Together, they explore strategies to improve the clinic’s operations and patient care.
A recent focus has been on the ongoing challenge of ensuring a consistent supply of essential medications. While a significant delivery was made in August, thanks to the support of IDA and PIH, the clinic is once again facing shortages. Dr. Kornetsky and Junior are actively exploring alternative suppliers, including potential sources in the Dominican Republic, to address this critical need.
Another key initiative is the acquisition of a new laboratory machine. This advanced equipment will enable the clinic to conduct various blood tests, significantly enhancing diagnostic capabilities. However, challenges such as training, reagent procurement, maintenance, and reliable electricity supply must be overcome.
Despite these hurdles, St. Joseph Clinic remains a beacon of hope for over 150,000 people in the Thomassique area. The clinic averages 35 births per month and supports Matwans (Haitian midwives) who deliver over 130 babies monthly in remote villages.
Junior extends his heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Kornetsky and all our generous donors for their unwavering support over the past 15 years. Your contributions make a tangible difference in the lives of countless individuals.
Updates
Grundy Update: A Season of Giving
In November, Medical Missionaries made a special trip to Roanoke, VA, to deliver much-needed food donations to the Rocklick Food Pantry. Dr. Irwin even got creative, using a conveyor belt to efficiently transfer the supplies from our truck to theirs.
The Rocklick Food Pantry’s Holiday Giving season is right around the corner! Our final trip to Grundy for this year’s Holiday Giving will be on December 12th, when Dr. George Bazaco and Greg will be driving a trailer filled with food, toys, and other essential supplies directly to the community. Thanks to your generous donations, we’ve raised $1300 to support this cause. We continue to accept donations for our Food and Toy Drive through December 13th.
We’re incredibly grateful to United Methodist Church in Marshall, VA, and the Mt. Tabor community in Vienna, VA, for their recent generous food donations. Their support is invaluable in helping us stock our shelves. Additionally, we’re excited to share that a fantastic collection of Hess trucks will be distributed to Grundy and local community centers.
The Rocklick community consistently expresses their sincere gratitude for your extremely generous donations of goods, time, and effort. Your support is especially meaningful during the holiday season.
Happy Holidays!
Bamenda Bound: A Gift of Gratitude
We’re thrilled to announce that Medical Missionaries has received a generous donation of bedside tables from a local hospital. These essential items will be included in our upcoming December shipment to Bamenda, Cameroon, where Bishop Andrew Nkea is building a full-scale hospital and a school to serve his community.
Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging: Donation
We’re grateful to the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging for their recent donation of medical supplies from the Front Royal Free Clinic. A van full of essential items was delivered to our Manassas office. We extend our sincere thanks to them and all our partners for their generous support and collaboration.
Warehouse: As mentioned in previous newsletters, we’ve been searching for an affordable or donated warehouse space. While we haven’t found the perfect solution yet, we remain optimistic.
To give you a glimpse of our current storage situation, here are some photos of our team moving a donated exam table from our office to one of the shipping containers that serve as our temporary warehouse.
Please reach out to our office (703-335-1800) if you can help us with this endeavor.
Local Donations: Our doors are open to collect or distribute in-person donations Monday thru Saturday, 8am to noon. After hours donations can be left or picked up in the white truck in front of the office. Every donation goes to someone in need.
Please consult our updated Fall ’24 list of items we can accept. Any questions, call the office at 703-335-1800. It is helpful if we know you are coming!
This year we are tracking the number of donors and clients. In September, we had 110 donors and 30 clients that we supported, while in October we had 91 donors and 36 clients.
