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The Western Tidewater Free Clinic received a blessing as Galatians United Church of Christ came together to provide donations to the clinic for the enrichment of the community. 

Located at 2019 Meade Parkway, church members came by the clinic office on Thursday, July 13 to present a donation of $500 as well as items of batteries, disinfectant wipes, exam gloves and more as part of their Summer Community Donation Project. 

Galatians UCC Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Madeleine F. Beard explained how the donation came about.

“One of the things that our church does annually is to seek out entities or organizations where we can bless. This year, I think we came up with about seven or eight. And actually, Western Tidewater Free Clinic was first on our list, and this is the first time that we have blessed them as a church,” Beard said. “We’re just looking forward to helping the wider community and we hope and pray that the contributions and the in-kind services that we have done will be a blessing for the entire given area of Western Tidewater.”

WTFC Director of Development Blake Marton told Beard the clinic is honored they were recognized as a primary charity for their vision in the area.

“We are just very proud to have benefited from our faith community and appreciate all that you do to serve the community within the Western Tidewater region,” he said to Beard.

WTFC Executive Director Ashley Greene also thanked Beard and the church while also thanking them for recognizing them as one of many organizations that are doing critical work within the community.

“We want to serve as a resource for whether it’s your parishioner, or your neighbor of a parishioner, or anyone we can help. Part of this is you all helping us spread the message of what we do,” she said. “We serve uninsured and underinsured, so we can really be hopefully a resource for the community. So we want you all  to use us as a referral opportunity as part of the safety net as well.”

Beard explained the two organizations got connected through WTFC’s brochures. After conversing through emails and some “telephone-tag,” the unionship finally happened. She discussed their mission of helping those who are in-need.

“In some of my reading and Blake’s sharing about the needs of this particular community, especially those who are uninsured and others that may be on the margins of that particular need,” she said.

Galatian UCC Trustee Arnold Beard commended WTFC on its work in communicating with the community.

“It’s very easy for us to pick them because they get information out to the community,” he said.

Galatian UCC Associate Pastor Ann Watson Hill said the donation is important not just for the community, but to strengthen the motivation of the church to do more.

“It motivates the members at Galatians and the members of the women’s fellowship, which means it gives us the impotence to move forward and to want to do more,” she said.