Community Comes Together for FernCare Annual Dinner
(Crystal A. Proxmire, April 25, 2023)
Ferndale, Troy, MI – Nearly 15 years ago a small group of Ferndale residents got together to figure out how to help people who did not have health insurance, and the FernCare free health clinic was born. Now over 70 volunteers and a staff of four work to care for those who would otherwise have no place else to go. Even through the pandemic, they never closed the clinic. In 2022 there were over 1500 clinic visits. Over 100,000 pills were prescribed and fulfilled for free with the clinic pharmacy, and dozens were able to meet with an enrollment specialist to help them get Medicaid or affordable insurance through the exchange.
“We are truly saving lives and helping people who would otherwise have nowhere else to go,” said FernCare Director Dan Martin to attendees of the annual fundraising dinner which was held at the San Marino Club in Troy last Thursday. The event attracted volunteers and supporters, as well as a number of public officials.
Congressperson Haley Stevens was among the featured speakers.
“We need this national. We need this funded,” she said. Stevens talked about the multitude of health-related issues impacting SE Michigan and the nation, including the shortage of healthcare workers, the growing population of older adults, attacks on female autonomy and access to reproductive healthcare, and the costs of prescription drugs and insulin. She echoed the support for the volunteers. “3900 hours of service,” Stevens said. “That is remarkable.”
While the numbers are impressive, and the issues are daunting, the real fuel that fires up the dozens of volunteers, fundraisers, and donors who make the clinic possible are the people.
FernCare Volunteer Coordinator (and frequent volunteer receptionist) Mary Ellen Rollins explained, “One of the things you need to understand is almost everyone at FernCare is a volunteer. A volunteer is somebody who provides a service for no compensation. By definition a volunteer is there because they choose to be there and the want to be there…. It is very fulfilling, very rewarding.”
“The people that come to FernCare don’t have health insurance, so they’ve had some lousy experiences because of that,” Rollins added. “The gratefulness they show is what makes volunteers come back. It’s actually very humbling. Patients say ‘I would not be here if not for FernCare.”
The event also featured Ferndale resident Jeannie Davis, who helped care for her son when he was dealing with a major illness. Her son did not have insurance and had been paying for doctor visits and lab tests out of pocket, which were expensive and prevented him from having continuity in care. He lost weight quickly and was too weak to walk or even sit up properly. Through FernCare he was able to get the care he needed to be on the road to better health.
Around the ballroom for the dinner were white paper luminaries with flickering battery-powered candles inside. Each one represented a person who was able to be helped by FernCare. The number is expected to rise starting in July as Medicaid begins requiring every recipient to re-certify for coverage. Renewals had been automatic through the pandemic. In Oakland County alone, over 89,000 residents are currently receiving health coverage and will need to fill out paperwork to be reconsidered. Those that no longer qualify, and those that have challenges with the documents, could end up at FernCare’s door.
The annual dinner and other fundraisers help cover the costs of helping. To learn more about FernCare, including how to volunteer or donate, visit https://ferncare.org/.