Snacks for Mercy Med and St. Francis Hospital

On leap day 2020, the Rotary Club of Muscogee-Columbus hosted its very first 5K run to support a local healthcare organization, Mercy Med. Mercy Med provides healthcare services including medical, dental, counseling, physical therapy and other services to the local community at low or no costs. No one is turned away because of their inability to pay. Nestled in the middle of a lower socioeconomic area, Mercy Med ensures the most vulnerable in our community have access to good health. In addition to healthcare services, the organization also has a robust garden where locals can get fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. For these residents, Mercy Med is the only place for miles to get fresh fruits and vegetables.

So, when Mercy Med was suggested as the 5K beneficiary, the club jumped at the chance to support such a worthwhile organization. Rotarians went right to work planning and executing an amazing inaugural event which gifted Mercy Med with a $9,310 check! Little did we know that the money raised would soon be put to immediate and necessary use to help Mercy Med fight COVID-19 by serving as the test location for community-wide testing.

At the start of this journey, the Rotary Club of Muscogee-Columbus, a club of 23 members (and growing), would have never guessed that our efforts would aid in tackling what has proven to be the most persistent issue of our time. Now under a shelter-in-place order, the Rotary Club of Muscogee-Columbus continues to search for ways to support our medical community and ease the daily burden felt by COVID-19. Just within the past two weeks, we have provided food to the doctors and nurses of Mercy Med and a local downtown hospital and are having masks produced for a midtown hospital. Rotary Club of Muscogee-Columbus may be a small club but we are mighty in our impact; doing our part to make a difference in our community and in our world.