Holy Family Health Care, a Catholic service ministry inspired by the works of mercy, is an organization committed to providing medical care to those in need. Based in Hartford, Michigan, it seeks to serve those who have no direct access to medical and dental care.
The organization serves Southwest Michigan especially, but sought to expand their reach in 2014 by purchasing a mobile medical clinic, which enables them to reach people who were previously too far away to benefit from their services, some of whom include people in migrant camps, homeless teen shelters, homes for unwed mothers, and schools.
Although providing medical and dental services is the key facet of their mission, those who work for Holy Family Health Care consider themselves responsible for more than periodic medical check-ups, and work to support each person they encounter in a holistic way.
“One of our jobs is to love those we encounter,” said one staff member. Holy Family Health Care started with a group of physicians who believed in providing medical care to people from all walks of life, and to dive deeper into that care by providing emotional and spiritual support as well, within a relationship based on education and shared decision making.
Holy Family Health Care provides a range of services, some of which include well-baby check ups, vaccinations, and ultrasounds. They also offer spiritual resources to those who express an interest in them, and seek to educate and empower their patients to take the lead in their physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being.
Their strong focus on education and keen awareness of the dignity of each individual has led Holy Family Health Care to pursue a partnership with the Human Dignity Curriculum, which will be implemented in the near future.
Physicians and volunteers of Holy Family Health Care are thrilled to introduce the HDC to children from devastated families, many of whom lack a solid awareness of their own worth and human dignity.
“The HDC provides a structured way,” said one volunteer, “to introduce children and their parents to the truth, beauty, and dignity of each individual.” As part of their implementation, one educator in particular is in the process of integrating the lessons of the curriculum into the comprehensive health care they provide to children.
Teaching kids their own worth and that of the people around them is a service that has deep repercussions in the way that they live their lives and interact with others in their homes and communities. In the words of one volunteer, “There is no better way to love them than to teach them their true value and worth.”
Original version by: Anne Mimille Guzman
Date: December 5, 2019
