Samaritan Health Ministries is on a mission to provide free, high quality, accessible transformational health and wellness services that support healthy living among uninsured families in the Greater Williamson County. Elizabeth Brown, Volunteer Major Gifts Officer of Samaritan Health Ministries, joined Studio 512 to talk about how the community can support SMH’s cause, and why she’s so passionate about the organization.
Elizabeth says, “I’m passionate about SHM because not only do I volunteer there, but I have also worked and been a patient of SHM. Sometimes we think of patients or clients of nonprofits as a population that wants hand outs or abuses the help from our local county and federal government, but often, people have just fallen on hard times with a job loss or are in a state of transition like divorce or death of a partner.”
I understand you have your own story about how SHM was there when your own
life took a turn.
“I wish I had known about SHM ministries earlier. As a newly-single mom of 4, working for a company without insurance as a benefit, I had to choose between a Well Women’s check-up with a yearly breast cancer screening for $1200+, or use my just over $1200 a month child support payment for food. There wasn’t a decision to even make, I just chose not to do my preventative healthcare to meet the needs of my family. No mom or dad should have to make that choice. At SHM, as long as you fall within the income earning level set, we will see anyone that is uninsured and just needing a little extra help to bridge a season of transition.”
Samaritan Health Ministries has served our community for over 26 years. What makes their safety net clinic unique in what they do?
“SHM operates its nonprofit solely on donations. We don’t charge our patients, and our offices
look and feel just like a regular insurance taking healthcare facility. But at SHM, you will encounter employees and volunteers that truly care and want to help you bridge the gap of
your transition. They don’t just offer medical services but also will present other like-minded
partners that offer job skills, English a second language, food pantries, a church home for extended community, and much more.
“Our goal is for our patients to feel like they have community at SHM and they don’t have to walk alone or ashamed in this small bump in their road map of life. It’s an honor to say that I am now in a position where I can financially give back and volunteer – and this is such a gift knowing they took care of me and provided care during a hard time in my life. And that’s why I am so passionate and would like to encourage others to give and donate, so other individuals can
receive the care they need without feeling ashamed to ask for help.”
How can we as a community help support Samaritan Health Ministries?
“I hope more of you will partner with me to help others walk in transition of their healthcare
needs. $50-$5,000 a month can make a difference to someone like me or one of your neighbors
needing basic preventative healthcare or someone that needs something longer lasting to keep
them out of the ER, like diabetic medicine or Asthma medication. All of these things add up and
you can help by praying, volunteering, or financially partnering to make a difference to those in
your backyard needing a little extra love during their season of transition. When you partner with us today, others can find hope.”
Learn more about the services that Samaritan Health Ministries provides, and how you can donate, at TheSHM.org.
This segment is paid for by Samaritan Health Ministries and is intended as an advertisement. Opinions expressed by the guest(s) on this program are solely those of the guest(s) and are not endorsed by this television station.
