Welcome to our February 2022 issue of The Wellness Corner – the e-newsletter for our community of advocates and enthusiasts - from Big Bend Cares and Care Point Health & Wellness Center.

In this issue you will find details on our new “Love Your Neighbor!” membership campaign; a preview of our March “FEAR 2 HOPE” online event; Care Point health updates; our January Volunteer of the Month; and what a medical technologist, a first-generation American, a Holocaust survivor, and the founding physician of Patients First all have in common.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way society operates, both Big Bend Cares and Care Point never stopped providing aid and health care to those we serve in Tallahassee and the Big Bend area (Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla counties). We continue to provide free HIV and STD testing, primary health care, dental care, lab work, sexual health education, no charge client and patient transportation, home-delivered food bags, volunteer opportunities, assistance with co-pays for medication, and case management.

None of this would have been possible without you! Your support, endorsement and financial assistance help us provide health care services and so much more to those in need and for this, we appreciate you!

February = Love Your Neighbor!

February is the month of love.

GEM Club members “Love Their Neighbors!”

Last year, over 3,730 no cost food bags were given to clients in Tallahassee and the Big Bend facing food insecurity,

because of our GEM Club members.

And GEM Club members also make it possible for us to provide free comprehensive health care to our uninsured patients, with no sliding fee scale.

What is a GEM Club member?

It’s you and me - neighbors helping neighbors. GEM (Givers Every Month) Club members donate as little as $15 monthly to

Big Bend Cares and 100 % of these donations go towards monthly food bags and health care for our

neighbors in need.

February is the month of love.

Please share the love and help us

reach our goal of 5 new GEM Club members

by February 28th. Join today by clicking here and

you too, can “Love Your Neighbor!” 

Care Point Health Update:

March is colon cancer awareness month. Colon cancer can be prevented. The key is having

regular screenings, beginning at age 45. Have questions? Contact your Care Point provider here to schedule an appointment.

Also, when you’re ready, we’re ready too! Care Point has 1^st, 2^nd, and COVID-19 booster shots available. The CDC recommends that everyone ages 5 and older get a COVID vaccine to help protect against the virus. Call us today at 850 - 354 - 8765 to schedule an appointment for you, your child or anyone else who is ready!

Coming March 5 - Turning

FEAR 2 HOPE!

Receiving unexpected health care news or testing positive for HIV can leave a person struggling with emotion and questions.

But the professional staff at Big Bend Cares and Care Point are committed to turning fear into hope. 

And you can too!

Starting on Saturday, March 5, visit our website here or our Facebook page here and see what you can do to turn

FEAR 2 HOPE. 

Our Volunteer of the Month:

Volunteers come and volunteers go, but a volunteer as dependable as our January 2022 'Volunteer of the Month,' Larry Lewis, only comes around once in a lifetime. Today, we would like to celebrate his commitment to service and always helping when we need him the most. Thank you, Larry!

If you're interested in joining Larry and volunteering, please click here and fill out our Volunteer Questionnaire.

What does a Medical Technologist and healthcare volunteer; a

First-generation American; a Holocaust survivor; and the

founding physician of Patients First all have in common?

They are each honored by having an area or room named after them at Care Point Health & Wellness Center.

“To have a room or area named after you at Care Point is

the ultimate tribute and recognition,” says Stanley Kahn II, Board President. “Each person is so unique and special – I am pleased to be able to share details about each of them:

Mary Jo Coffman served others for over forty years in Athens, Alabama as a Medical Technologist before she retired to Tallahassee and started volunteering in a variety of healthcare settings – including Capital Regional Medical Center. It is so appropriate that our Laboratory, used every day for the health

of others, is named in her honor.

Edith Rabin Linn was the first in her family born in the United States in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She devoted her life to her family, faith, and community and was known for her kindness, generous spirit, and integrity. We are so pleased that the Kid’s Nook is named for her.

Gary H. Philipp was born in 1927 in Germany. Gary survived

two different Nazi concentration camps. After his immigration to the United States, he and his partner, Anton, lived in San Francisco and Hawaii. Following Anton’s death, Gary moved to Florida where he was active in Holocaust education. Our Community Room, home to many trainings and seminars, is the perfect place to pay tribute to all that Gary stood for.

Dr. Thomas L. Hicks was both a practicing physician and the medical administrator for Patients First, a local health care center. One of the first physicians to care for people living with HIV, Dr. Hicks was actively involved with the inception of Big Bend Cares and later served on the Board of Directors for over ten years. Seeing that Care Point is our medical facility, having Exam Room #1 named after Dr. Hicks is a very suitable tribute to his work,” added Kahn.

Is there someone special that you wish to honor in a unique and exclusive manner? A Naming Gift at Care Point is the ultimate tribute to a family member or friend while also helping

to provide available, affordable, and accessible comprehensive health care services to those in need. Naming gifts are investments in the future of our community. Prominent 

spaces that are currently available include the Nurses Station, Dental Care Suite, and Exam Room #2. 

We hope you enjoyed the February 2022 issue of The Wellness Corner. If you have questions or want more information about any of the topics covered, please email Stephanie Schwartz, Chief Development Officer, here or contact her at 850-656-2437 extension 109. Thank you.

Big Bend Cares | (850) 656-2437 | www.bigbendcares.org

Care Point Health & Wellness Center | (850) 354-8765 | www.carepointwellness.com

Big Bend Cares, Inc. / Care Point Health & Wellness Center is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), federal tax-exempt organization. All donations are deemed tax-deductible.

FEIN: 59-2816580