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"He who has health, has hope. And he who has hope, has everything."
-Proverb | |
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In-Kind Donations | |
There are many ways to give to the Clinic beyond cash donations. Several local companies donate their time, talent and supplies to the Clinic on a regular basis. To name a few, we receive auditing and accounting services from Elmore, Hupp and Company, legal services from Timberlake, Smith, Thomas & Moses, water coolers from Shenandoah Valley Water, light bulbs and ballasts from NIBCO, and copiers from Shenandoah Valley Office Equipment.
Do you have a service that you would like to donate? or extra supplies on hand?
Here are some of the most needed supplies:
- Quart and gallon ziplock bags for the Pharmacy
- Coffee and Snacks for volunteers (granola bars, crackers, etc.)
- Bandages for the Clinic
- Copy paper and ink pens for the front office | |
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Quick Website Links
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Greetings!
Don't forget that Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 13th. Did you know that in the United States, Mother's Day started nearly 150 years ago, when Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by mothers? She called it "Mother's Work Day." In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother's Day as a national holiday.
The best gift you can give your mother, wife, daughter and all the women you care about is to encourage them to look after their health! So give Mom a hug, tell her you love her and ask her to Take the Pledge!
National Women's Checkup Day:
May 14, 2012
Take the pledge! The tenth annual National Women's Checkup Day will be held on Monday, May 14, 2012, during National Women's Health Week. The day is dedicated to encourage women to visit their health care professionals to receive or schedule checkups, and to promote regular checkups as vital to the early detection of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, mental health illnesses, sexually transmitted infections, and other conditions. This month presents a wonderful opportunity to help women to Take the Pledge! to get healthier by recommending steps to improve their physical and mental health, as well as lower their risks for certain diseases by:
- Regular exercise/increased activity
- Healthy food choices
- Attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress
- Avoidance of unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet and
- Taking advantage of appropriate preventive services and screenings
The leading causes of death in females in the United States are:
- Heart Disease (25.1%)
- Cancer (22.1%)
- Stroke (6.7%)
- Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases (5.5%)
- Alzheimer's Disease (4.3%)
2007 data. Source - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Women's Health at womenshealth.gov
"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."
-Abraham Lincoln
Yours in health,
Margaret Hersh
Executive Director |
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ARFC Receives Commendation from the Virginia General Assembly
On March 8, 2012, the Virginia General Assembly enacted a resolution (HJR517) commending the Clinic and our staff for the contribution ARFC has made to Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County. The commendation was brought forth by Kaye Kory, Delegate of the 38th District, and daughter of one of our long-time nurse volunteers, Celesta Dexheimer. Senator Emmett Hanger, Delegate R. Stephen Landes, Delegate Dickie Bell and Delegate Benjamin Cline joined Delegate Kory in this commendation. We are very proud to serve our community with the quality, compassionate care that has been our hallmark for nearly two decades, and we thank each of the Delegates and Senator Hanger for this honor. |
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In Loving Memory: Carolyn Brown
December 30, 1986-April 9, 2012
ARFC mourns the loss of another member of our Clinic family, Carolyn Brown, 25, daughter of our Nurse Practitioner Jo Anne Brown. Carolyn was a pharmacology student at Boston University and a co-valedictorian of the class of 2005 at Wilson Memorial High School. Carolyn was described by her family and friends as loving and creative, and by her professors as brilliant and conscientious. She is sorely missed.
The ARFC staff joins the Brown family in thanking everyone for their kind support of memorial gifts, volunteer time and encouragement. |
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New ARFC Fundraising Events Were A Success!
Free Clinic Night at Baja Bean
Thank you to everyone who came out on Leap Year Eve to
support the Clinic. And a big thank you to Sarah Lynch and her staff at Baja for donating 10% of the evening's proceeds to the Clinic. We made $276 by simply enjoying a delicious dinner at this favorite downtown restaurant.
Greenbrier Raffle
Congratulations to Dixie McClenahan, one of the Clinic's eligibility volunteers, who won the Greenbrier Raffle. She and a guest will enjoy accommodations for two nights, two breakfasts, two dinners, and a $250 activities credit, along with all taxes, gratuities and resort fees at the historic Greenbrier resort.
Thank you to everyone who participated and made this a successful fundraiser for the Clinic. We netted nearly $8,000 to support Clinic and pharmacy operations!
ARFC Yard Sale
The rain held off long enough on Saturday, April 21st, to help us raise $1,700 from our yard sale! Thank you to everyone who gave donations, bought items, and spread the word about the sale. And a huge thank you to nurse volunteer Emily Britt and her friend Carol who helped us organize and price items (a big undertaking), and Clinic volunteers Linda Hodson, Charlie Tetreault and Bunny Davenport who not only helped us with the yard sale, but also baked delicious goodies to sell!
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Preventing Tooth Decay In Children
According to a recent article in The New York Times, cases of preschoolers with cavities and severe tooth decay (6-10 cavities or more) are on the rise. It is not unusual these days to have small children who need major dental work such as tooth extractions, crowns and root canals.
Children do not lose all of their baby teeth until around age 11 or 12, and decay can lead to serious complications in children who haven't yet gotten their permanent teeth, including tooth abscesses, tooth loss, chewing problems, severe pain, and life-threatening infections. To promote good oral health in children, the Times article listed the following tips:
- Take an infant to a dentist before the first birthday for an assessment of cavity risk, even if the child has only a few teeth.
- Brush the teeth of children 2 or younger with a bit of fluoride toothpaste twice a day. At 2, start to use a pea-size dollop.
- Reduce snacking. Eating any starchy or sugary food causes the pH level in the mouth to drop sharply, leaving teeth awash in an acid bath - murder on enamel - for 20 minutes until saliva normalizes the pH. The frequency of exposure to acid is more important than the sugar content of food.
- Do not share utensils with a child or "clean" a pacifier in your mouth, then give it to your infant. Research has shown that parents or caregivers with active tooth decay can pass cavity-causing bacteria via saliva.
- Brush preschoolers' teeth for them.
And of course, take children for regular dental visits. The Augusta Regional Dental Clinic offers dental services to children enrolled in Medicaid (Famis, Famis Plus, Optima and Virginia Premier.) The Dental Clinic can be reach at 540/332-5619. |
Save the Dates! Upcoming ARFC Events
Thursday, May 24th, 2012: Shakin' At The Station: ARFC Night
Please come out and enjoy a night of music while supporting ARFC and other community non-profits such as the Breast Cancer Society, Stuarts Draft Rescue Squad and H.O.P.E.
Depot Grill Tip Night: Date in September TBD: Depot Grill, Staunton
Enjoy an evening of good food while the Clinic's board members serve and bus your table.
14th Annual Golf Tournament: Thursday, October 4th, 2012: Waynesboro Country Club
Please join us a fun day of golfing while supporting the Clinic's largest fundraiser of the year. Please contact Tanya Farrell if you are interested in sponsoring the tournament, playing or would like more information.
Clinic Tours: Ongoing
Would you or your group be interested in learning more about the Clinic and seeing first-hand our work in action? Please contact Tanya Farrell to schedule a Clinic tour. |
Volunteer Opportunities
Medical Volunteers: The Free Clinic is currently in need of medical volunteers Mondays-Thursdays and Thursday evenings to help with patient care. Pharmacy techs and Pharmacy tech students are also needed to help in our on-site pharmacy. Schedules are very flexible. Please email Tanya Farrell or call 540/332-5606 if you can help. Thank you!!
Front Office/Pharmacy Desk:
We are looking for volunteers to help in our front office Monday-Wednesday afternoons and at our pharmacy desk on Monday mornings. Duties include answering phones, copying and filing, passing out patient medications, and data entry. Please contact Tanya Farrell if you are interested.
Volunteers Needed at the Augusta Regional Dental Clinic:
Our Dental Clinic is in need of office volunteers to pull and re-file charts Monday through Friday, two-three hours a day. Please contact our Dental Director, Chris Harman, if you can help. |
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