Day of Caring mission planned for Saturday at new location

Preparing for Saturday’s A Day of Caring are Unity Health-White River Medical Center employees Karen Ball, registered nurse, from left; Clay Garrett, graphic-design coordinator; Elizabeth Leaver, marketing assistant; and Micaleigh Coleman, marketing intern. A Day of Caring will offer a variety of free medical exams, as well as school and personal-care supplies from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Harding Academy High School, 1529 E. Park Ave. in Searcy.
Preparing for Saturday’s A Day of Caring are Unity Health-White River Medical Center employees Karen Ball, registered nurse, from left; Clay Garrett, graphic-design coordinator; Elizabeth Leaver, marketing assistant; and Micaleigh Coleman, marketing intern. A Day of Caring will offer a variety of free medical exams, as well as school and personal-care supplies from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Harding Academy High School, 1529 E. Park Ave. in Searcy.

— Many may be familiar with mission projects sponsored by medical personnel and volunteers in some underdeveloped countries, but some may not know that a similar medical mission is planned for Saturday in Searcy.

Unity Health-White County Medical Center will sponsor the 20th annual A Day of Caring medical mission from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Harding Academy High School, 1529 E. Park Ave. in Searcy.

“This is a new location for A Day of Caring,” said Anna Brumfield, Unity Health marketing coordinator and coordinator of A Day of Caring for the past six years. “We want to be sure people know that.

“It’s always been at Ganus Athletic Center at Harding University, but because of construction at the university, we have moved the medical mission to Harding Academy High School, which is on the opposite end of the football field at the university. We will have signs directing people to the new location.”

Brumfield said this communitywide outreach program provides free health care and information for the uninsured and underinsured residents of White County.

“We have been called to be servants and to show compassion to those in need — that is our purpose,” said Ray Montgomery, president and CEO for Unity Health. “A Day of Caring started 20 years ago as a grassroots effort to provide immunizations for children and has grown into a large medical mission that is vital to our community. In reality, there are still people in need in White County, and A Day of Caring is a mission field in our own backyard.”

Free medical, dental and eye screenings will be provided at A Day of Caring. Additional services offered will include haircuts, immunizations and Pap tests. Various other health screenings and social-service information will also be provided.

Brumfield said one new health screening to be offered this year is the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening.

“That’s just the blood test only,” she said.

Items such as school supplies, Bibles, children’s socks and shoes, underwear, diapers, bags of groceries and personal-care products will also be distributed. Brumfield said children must be present to receive school supplies, shoes, socks/underwear and diapers.

“Two years ago, we added shoes to the list of things we provide,” Brumfield said. “I think we gave away 300 pairs that year, and then last year, we had 500 or 600 pairs.”

Brumfield said there would be a general-medical-exam area set up for residents requesting screenings.

“Generally, we have 15 to 20 doctors available to perform these services,” she said. “There will also be several dentists and one eye doctor.”

Brumfield said there would be an outside registration area set up where people will line up to receive a number.

“This is so we can have some sort of organized chaos,” she said with a smile. “Then they will go inside to register for specific services. That’s where we will get basic information, see what services they need and then direct them to those areas.

“We will tell them to go to the medical area first, since that is the one that may take the longest. Some people will be able to get several screenings, but we cannot guarantee that they will be able to get them all.”

For children and teens, the 23rd annual Shots for Tots and Teens will be held in conjunction with A Day of Caring. A parent or guardian is required to bring the child’s shot record in order to receive immunizations,

Brumfield said the Searcy County Health Department will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday for other needs.

Brumfield said A Day of Caring actually began as Shots for Tots and Teens and has grown over the years.

“Last year, we served approximately 1,300 people,” she said. “The year before that, it was 1,800, and the year before that, 1,300. We never know how many people will come. We always prepare for 2,000.”

Brumfield said lunch will be served to those who receive services.

Registered nurse Karen Ball has worked at Unity Health for five years and currently works in patient rehabilitation at the specialty-care campus.

“As a kid, I was a recipient of A Day of Caring. My mom brought me and a sibling to it for dental care many years ago. My dad had had a hard year, and that was the only way we could get services,” she said.

“Then I came to it later when I was a student nurse at Arkansas State University at Newport,” Ball said. “I worked the desk on the inside where people were signing up to see an eye doctor. I helped people fill out forms and answered questions. I think we even helped with cleanup afterward.

“I think A Day of Caring is a huge benefit to the community. My sister was over 18 when we came years ago and fell through the cracks — she had no insurance. There was no ARKids First then. Many families have access to ARKids First today, but there are still those who have no insurance.”

A variety of informational booths will be set up at the event.

“The Arkansas Department of Workforce will have a mobile unit set up outside to help those seeking employment,” Ball said. “That is something else new this year — they always participate by having a booth, but this is the first time they will bring a mobile unit.”

Many individuals, clubs, churches and organizations have already donated personal-care items such as bar soap, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, and toothbrushes and toothpaste, but more donations are welcome.

Those interested in donating such items, as well as nonperishable food items for the food bank, may bring them to Harding Academy High School on Friday or call the Unity Health marketing department at (501) 278-3230.

Brumfield said more than 450 volunteers participated in last year’s event. Volunteers may also still be needed for Saturday’s event; however, volunteers may not participate in the services offered at A Day of Caring.

For more information, contact Brumfield at (501) 278-3230 or marketing@wcmc.org.

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