Community organizations and residents continue to show their appreciation.

By Catherine Rice, Vice President of Marketing/Outreach

It’s been amazing and heartwarming to see the ongoing support of HPC during the COVID-19 Pandemic—with in-kind and monetary donations. To date, 50 individuals, businesses and organizations, like the Olathe Chamber of Commerce, have donated items or meals to the clinic. From breakfast and lunches to hand sanitizers, PPE, coupons for free drinks/treats to handmade masks, soap, paint and flowers, the donations keep rolling in. We’re so incredibly grateful.

Here is what our staff think about this outpouring of support:

“This pandemic has been a very difficult for all front-line workers. There is a lot of fear and stress working in health care right now, but we do it because our patients matter to us. The generous gifts of food and items from the community have meant so much to us. It is like the community is there right along with us, supporting us.” —Mayra Lemus, Medical Assistant

“I believe that these kind gestures from local partners and restaurants are a clear sign of solidarity. I can see that my colleagues and I are truly grateful for support our community has shown in the last weeks. During a time of crisis, it is wonderful that we can rally and truly be ‘stronger together’. Thank you.” –Cecilia Ponce, Behavioral Health Consultant

“I’m very thankful for the Olathe Chamber of Commerce for providing Health Partnership Clinic staff with lunch and breakfast meals during these difficult times we’re all going through. This generosity and kindness mean a lot to me and my coworkers. It makes us feel very appreciated of the vital work we do to keep our community healthy. And, it inspires me to be a better person for our community. Thank you again!” –Diana Zamora, Financial Aid Coordinator

“It’s a very busy time for me and my team, especially since some of my staff are still furloughed. Having lunch brought in really uplifts my spirit. It’s knowing people care and truly understand what a challenging time it is working in health care where things are constantly changing and not knowing each day if you have been exposed and are taking it home to your own family. In addition, budgets are tight for our staff—like many others living in our community. Every meal provided is money saved in our pockets to put toward bills or other needs. Bottomline, it is so encouraging for me to have so many people thinking of us and showing their support – it definitely makes this pandemic easier to bear.” —Billie Reese-Turner, Director of Billing and Patient Services, Health Partnership Clinic

To show our appreciation to these generous donors, we take photos and post them on Facebook and Instagram so everyone in our community knows what big hearts we have in Johnson, Miami and Franklin Counties. This is a win-win for HPC. In addition, many organizations and individuals –new to HPC– are learning about what we do. These connections may open even more doors to us.

We salute and thank all our donors.

(The bold-faced names are new additions to our donor list.)

Anonymous
Charlie Hustle LLC
Chick-fil-A
Culver’s
Davidson Promotional Products
Direct Relief
Dominos
Amy Falk (Paint)
Front Line Appreciation Group (FLAG KC) – Rick Krapes, Country Financial, Mickey the Cotton Candy Man and Jason’s Deli
FlorasourceKC
Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steak Burgers
Betty Gearheart (Masks)
GE Johnson Construction Company
Global Birthing Home Foundation
Heart to Heart International
Hibba Haider, MD
Home Depot
Hy-Vee
Indigo Wild
Rieger & Co.
Jersey Mike’s Subs
Kansas City Chinese American Association
Kansas Gas Service (Toni’s Lunch)
Sylvia Kenner (Masks)
Krispy Kreme
LRO Studios (Masks)
Lucia Jones Herrera, MSN, RN/UnitedHealthcare (Masks)
Marco Pizza
Mickey The Cotton Candy Man
Tracey Mikes (Masks)
Olathe Chamber of Commerce (Park Street Pastry, Strips, Olathe Downtown Diner, Tropical Smoothie Café, Chapala Mexican Restaurant)
Olathe Rotary Club
Olathe School District
Pizza Village
Pulley Wholesale Florist
QuikTrip
Restless Spirits Distilling
Catherine Rice (Paint/Snacks)
Sam’s Club
Michelle and Rachel Schneider (Masks)
Shawnee Mission School District
Simple Simon’s Pizza
Smoothie King
Sonic
The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC)
Union Horse Distilling Company
UnitedHealthcare
(List updated May 15, 2020)

The donations and delivery of meals wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering help of Debbie Sparks, Development and Marketing Manager, and Janice Santiago, Behavioral Health Resource Specialist. In addition, Andrea Acosta, Enrollment Specialist, and Marcie Nighswonger, Women’s Health Coordinator, and the clinical staff are always willing to lend a helping hand too. It’s quite a production to deliver 57 meals to four clinics and Administration.

If you are interested in donating meals or other staff appreciation items to HPC, call me at 913-730-3680.
For monetary donations, visit us at https://hpcks.org/give-back/.