Good News Clinic – Cresswind Community Fund

Good News Clinic Announces Two
2020 Volunteer Award Winners

Good News Clinic Announcement was on Friday August 14, 2020

2020 Anne Thomas Volunteer of the Year Award:

The Cresswind Community Fund

It takes a community to keep the mission of Good News Clinics alive and the “doors open”. One such community is Cresswind. This community provided the Good News Clinics’ staff with gift cards to help them offset the financial hardships caused by the pandemic. They also purchased and donated much needed products for The Clinics.

Through the leadership of Cresswind Community Fund president, Bill Papciak, Good News Clinics has been the recipient of several grants. One of these grants established an ongoing flu vaccine program for The Clinics. The outpouring of financial support for The Clinics from the Cresswind Community Fund has been amazing. We would not have been able to serve so many over 55, low-income Hall County residents if it were not for their support.

In addition, the Cresswind Community Fund provided catered meals for the Good News Clinics’ staff during the pandemic and they have asked Good News Clinics to refer eligible patients for possible financial support from the Community’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program.

Many residents of the Cresswind Community have also donated their time and wisdom: serving on the Good News Clinics’ Board of Directors, working on the Fundraising Committee, volunteering as Intake Specialists, gathering and donating much needed supplies and so much more. Special thanks to Cresswind Community volunteers: Ann Causey, Marianne Falls, Sue Garcia, Tamara Glenn, Jan Kasner, Gerry Maier, and Ron Stowe as well as the Cresswind Community Fund Board of Directors.

The mission of the Cresswind Community Fund is to enhance the lives of adults primarily age 55 and older through charitable, educational, health-related and cultural opportunities in the greater Gainesville area and Hall County. They are certainly doing that through their support of Good News Clinics. We are proud to honor Cresswind Community Fund as our 2020 Volunteer of the Year.

Lee D. Highsmith

Development & Engagement Director

Good News Clinics

2020 Sam Poole Volunteer of the Year:

Dr. Heidi Nicholson

Dr. Heidi Nicholson has been volunteering at Good News Clinics for 16 years. She retired from Emergency Medicine at NGHS in 2018 and currently has a private practice in Gainesville. She holds licenses in Internal medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Eastern Medicine. Following the retirement of Dr. Jim Butts as Medical Director, she volunteered to join Dr. Ed Lynch and Dr. Mark Henson in providing physician leadership as Co-Director of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Nicholson also increased her volunteer hours. She volunteers two days each week and also precepts for NGHS Graduate Medical Education Residents on their rotations at The Clinics.

This year, Dr. Nicholson was the voice of resolve to hold fast to our mission caring for the indigent through the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. When shelter-in-place orders were executed, Dr. Nicholson was rapid in her resolve to keep treating patients and ensure that our clinic doors stayed open. She took on the patient load for providers who could not volunteer during that difficult period and has said many time since March, “We have a responsibility to our patients and to this community – we must maintain our mission.” She began providing telehealth for patients at too high a risk to come in for appointments. She helped The Clinics test over 1,300 people for Covid-19 in our events sponsored by NGHS.

Dr. Nicholson’s dedication to medicine and passion for the under- served saves patients’ lives and inspires all who work with her.

Lee D. Highsmith

Development & Engagement Director

Good News Clinics

**Good News Clinic’s Annual Mardi Gras Fundraiser Was To Be Held The Night of Friday August 14th**

Tonight Was To Be The Night

(Friday August 14th)

Tonight, friends of Good News Clinics were to gather to celebrate another wonderful year of community support. We were going to hear patient success stories and share dinner and drinks while a jazz band played in the background. Our King and Queen of the Carnival, Nathan & Sandra Deal, were going to parade in with their “Krew” to the tune of “Oh When The Saints Go Marching In.” There were going to be Mardi Gras beads and masks. Well, we may still be wearing masks tonight, but they aren’t like the one in the picture.

So while we won’t be together tonight, please know how much we appreciate you and your support. And if you haven’t made a donation yet – there is still time to give.

We look forward to seeing you at next year’s celebration: Friday, August 14, 2021.

You Can Still Become a 2020 Sponsor.

$5,000 Platinum
$2,500 Gold
$1,000 Silver
$500 Bronze
$65 Ticket

Thank you to the heroes who have already committed to support the 2020 Mardi Gras Fund Drive. There is still time. Our fiscal year ends Sept. 30th.
Any gift at any level is heroic in our eyes and helps us reach our $150,000 goal.

Good News Clinic Announces Two2020 Volunteer Award Winners