I am a proud member of the Board of Directors at the Community Care Clinic of Rowan County. The clinic provides medical, dental and pharmacy services for Rowan County adults who do not have access to insurance or other types of benefits.

Our patients truly “fall through the cracks,” as many of them work one or two part-time jobs in industries where insurance is not available.

Our patients are self-employed babysitters, hair dressers, lawn care workers and farmers. Others work in restaurants, convenience stores, nursing homes and retail shops. Access to affordable health care has never been harder than it is in 2018. The clinic provided 2,500 medical visits and 1,300 dental visits in 2017 alone.

Currently, the Board of Directors and staff of the Community Care Clinic are in the middle of the 2018 Annual Appeal — a time when we ask the community to consider paying for a week’s worth of medications, a day of dental care for 14 patients, or a medical visit for a diabetic patient, to name a few options.

Many people have donated in honor or in memory of friends and family. Any donation received is an excellent return on investment.

Through the efforts of volunteers and staff, the clinic is able to provide $8 worth of care for each $1 donated, which includes $4 million worth of free medications received on behalf on our patients.

Please consider a gift of any amount to the Community Care Clinic of Rowan County, 315G Mocksville Ave. Salisbury NC 28144. You, too, can be a partner in improving the health of Rowan County.

— Jay Dees

Salisbury