The Impact of Showing Up

By Camille Vasconcellos and Citlali Velazquez Ortiz

It’s no secret that health care has become increasingly challenging to access. Philadelphia is

seeing rising rates of uninsured individuals, and statistics from the Department of Public Health report that there is approximately one provider for every 1,243 individuals residing in the city (Dept. of Public Health, City of Philadelphia, 2018).

While those numbers can be daunting, it is important to recognize and uplift the folks directly serving our communities. ADROP has proudly served more than 20,000 individuals since beginning our clinic ministry for uninsured community members. Unity Clinic was built on a foundation of medical providers, interpreters, social workers, interns, and volunteers willing to come together to support our local communities.

Throughout this past year, our dedicated team members completed approximately 810 hours of patient appointments while also volunteering more than 1,000 hours on Tuesday evenings to support the continued success of Unity Clinic.

We are incredibly grateful to our team for showing up consistently!

Volunteer Spotlight

This month, we are highlighting one of our volunteers, Dr. Colin Park, MD, who provided compassionate care to patients at Unity Clinic this summer. In a recent interview with a team member, Dr. Colin shared, "...here at Unity Clinic, it’s a smaller environment, but the community is more tightly connected...both staff and providers really care about the community, which helps the patients show up and come back. Providers are really close to patients, and it makes it a welcoming community—really welcoming for volunteers like me and patients." Providers like Dr. Colin make Unity Clinic such a special place. While he is moving on to volunteer in another state, his impact will be remembered.

If you are a provider—or know someone who is—we encourage you to reach out to learn more about volunteering. If you're ready to take the next step, fill out our volunteer form here.

By Camille Vasconcellos and Citlali Velazquez Ortiz

If you are interested in getting involved at ADROP’s Unity Clinic, please fill out a volunteer form here: A.D.R.O.P. Unity Clinic Volunteer Form

If you are an organization looking to refer a client or partner with us, please reach out to Camille at Camille.vasco@augustinian.org 

Connect with us on social media: @adropphilly

Click here to see other ways you can support our work today!