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By Laurie O'Connor Stephans
July 2010
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| Above: Community residents line up waiting for doors to open at the Kendall Cares Clinic at Plano High School. Below: Many local professionals volunteered their time to assist people with health and personal needs. |
 | “We're doing this because Jesus has done so much for us, and this is one little way we can give back.”
The one “little” thing to which Brenda Ulrich refers was a day-long free clinic that provided medical and other services to 374 people. Ulrich suggested the event at a community needs-finding breakfast a year earlier that she initiated through her home church of Cross, Yorkville. Both the breakfast and the clinic received overwhelming support from public, governmental and area church leaders.
“We had been toying with the idea for awhile, knowing there are other churches dealing with people out of work and having other issues,” she explains. “My husband, Larry, and I volunteered previously at a clinic at Trinity, Lisle, and had an awesome experience, so I brought it up at the breakfast and everyone thought it was a great idea.”
A joint effort called Kendall Cares was established to offer the clinic this spring and then see what other needs Christians could meet, working together.
Thanks to the cooperation of Plano High School, two gyms were transformed to allow for both private consultation and treatment for the clinic, as well as space for guests to enjoy a meal and obtain clothes, food and other items. All services and many of the facility needs were provided at no charge by local professionals.
“I was amazed at the number of people who were so willing to donate their services,” Ulrich says. “People really want to help.”
Among them were doctors, dentists and dental assistants, nurse practitioners, chiropractors, eye care professionals, hair stylists, attorneys, and financial counselors. If guests needed prescriptions, the Wal-Mart in Plano provided them for free. Even photographers were on hand to give guests free family portraits to take home.
In addition, the Kendall County Health Department offered information about its ongoing services, and 16 churches of all denominations were represented as volunteers and advocates for the guests.
An invaluable help was the organization Touched Twice United (www.touchedtwice united.org), a not-for-profit based in Wisconsin that provides a well-designed model for an all day clinic such as this.
“The model they have is that you touch people physically, and then with the word of God,” Ulrich explains. “We had an area for prayer and had prayer boxes.”
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Many special moments occurred during the Kendall Cares Clinic in Plano. Here's one that Brenda Ulrich remembers well...
“Volunteer parking was offsite at a lot near the Wal-Mart, from which guests were shuttled to the high school. There was a gentleman who was walking nearby and asked our people what was going on. They told him, and he admitted that he was going into the Wal-Mart to steal because he was hungry and had no food or money. He also shared that he was having problems in his marriage.
They struck up a conversation and convinced him to go to the school, get a meal, and take food home. There happened to be a pastor on the shuttle bus, and they also talked. The pastor accompanied him throughout the clinic and helped him find a suit in the clothes closet. Later he came back with his family (and wearing the suit) to have a family portrait taken.
“It's all in God's timing. This probably kept the man out of jail for robbery, and he was able to experience the love of Christ through the people on the bus and at the clinic. Coming back with his family may mean it helped his marriage, too. God only knows what has happened since the clinic day, but we know he left the clinic in a better position than when he got there.” | Guests arriving at the clinic filled out a registration form and indicated their two greatest needs, as it would have been impossible logistically for all guests to obtain all services. In the medical area, 45-minute blocks of time were created for appointments. While many received medical care, others spoke to attorneys and financial counselors about such things as bankruptcy or child support, while others simply got a haircut, had a meal or took home some clothing or food.
A tremendous blessing to the day was a $5,000 grant from LCMS World Relief and Human Care originally intended for purchase of tetanus and DPT vaccinations. It was later found that Kendall County Health Department was able to get those vaccines donated. When Ulrich offered to return the grant, LCMS World Relief and Human Care generously told Kendall Cares to keep the funds for other medical purposes.
“We contacted local agencies and lined up follow-up visits for people identified with an issue that needed further care,” Ulrich notes. “We were able to provide about 120 follow-up visits, and already have heard about two people that had severe dental infections who, thanks to the follow-up, have been restored to good health.”
“It's not enough to say ‘you have a cavity – have a nice day,'” she adds. “We were very grateful for that grant money and the important follow-up care it could provide.”
Next year's date (May 21) is already set, and in the meantime, Kendall Cares is working to establish a PADS overnight ministry in that county. Judging by the passion and enthusiasm demonstrated by Ulrich and her colleagues, these efforts are only the beginning.
“It ain't rocket science,” she says. “And sometimes we try to make it rocket science and end up not doing anything.”
“This reinforces in us that there are a lot of people out there who care and want to do something,” she says. “We can all work together and do good in the name of Jesus.”
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