In the last year, I've been trying to become a better neighbor. Making a point of saying hi to people on the street, lingering a little longer in conversation - all that stuff. Occasionally, it helps me understand my neighbors in new and surprising ways, and that makes the effort all the more worthwhile.
One of these encounters happened to me a few months ago with my neighbor across the street and one house down. It was a Sunday evening, and we were both walking our dogs and catching up. He looked like he was going to fall over from exhaustion. He said he and his wife had been working in Alexandria all weekend at a free medical clinic that had run from dawn until dusk.
If you've lived in Melrose Place for a while, you probably know my neighbors: Donna Collins-Lewis and her husband, Cliff "Coach" Lewis. Both have an impressive and respectable track record of public service in Baton Rouge. Donna was our District 6 Metro Councilwoman for over 10 years. Cliff is currently serving as the EBR School Board District 5 leader. Both have been active participants in this community, most notably in championing affordable housing.
The clinic Cliff was describing sounded too good to be true: 100% free dental and vision care to anyone that showed up. Volunteer doctors and medical professionals working all day to help under-served communities. Sponsors and local partners pitching in to provide a "pop up" medical environment for over a thousand people regardless of insurance status. But this was not an idea - it was real. Love Impact Coalition, as its now called, is a non-profit organization that was started by Donna Collins-Lewis in 2018, and the name says it all.
According to Donna, she got the idea for what would eventually become Love Impact Coalition from a similar free one-day clinic while visiting Boise Idaho. Along with Dr. Nicole Thomas, Donna pulled together an immense pool of partners, donors, and volunteers to form a "Love Heals" community clinic event in Baton Rouge in 2018 at Southern University. At this event, 1500 people came through the doors and were served by medical professionals at zero cost to the patient. Another clinic of similar size followed in 2019. The pandemic paused activity for the organization until 2022 when it was brought back in full force. Since then, it has expanded to multiple cities within Louisiana. In 2024 alone there have been clinics in Opelouses, Alexandria, Shreveport, and Baton Rouge - with one more coming up later this month.
A community clinic event is a massive production from planning to execution. Donna works closely with Dr. Thomas and Coleatha Fowler, a nurse practitioner, to oversee a million moving parts. Medical professionals are recruited by website, flyers, and outreach. To ensure maximum efficiency, each event is set up the day before by community volunteers, and doors open as early as 5:30am on the day of. According to Donna, people are sitting in front of a medical professional within 30 minutes of opening. Donna's 2 sisters, son, daughter, and husband Cliff are in the mix pitching in with whatever needs to happen to keep things moving smoothly.
Every person that comes through the clinic is registered and undergoes comprehensive medical clearance. There is a full pharmacy on site, and insulin is administered as needed to correct blood pressure before other procedures. X-ray stations are used to diagnose dental issues. Services include a wide range of medical offerings but focus on dental procedures and vision correction. Eye glasses are mailed out to patients a short time after the event.
According to Donna, the main goal is to connect people to long term health resources. For this reason, partnering vendors at each event are a key component to this operation. They ensure that patients are educated about critical resources available to them and taking the next step toward greater health.
At a recent fundraiser for Love Impact Coalition at the Mid City Tower, I got to see firsthand the amazing support this organization is getting both from its sponsors and professional participants. It was inspiring and humbling.
There will be another clinic on October 26, 2024 in Baton Rouge at the Raising Cane's River Center. I'll be there in the morning to show my support. Know this: these events are a massive undertaking and require considerable resources. Please consider making a donation to this organization and/or consider volunteering at one of the clinics.
More information here, including the upcoming October 26th event:
Thanks, Donna (and you too Cliff!): neighbors making our city and state a better place to live.
David West