The Free Clinic of Meridian was chosen by a group of young leaders involved in Leadership Lauderdale for its Community Service Project for 2021.

Adam Foreman, Chad Harbour, Renyetta Johnson, Malcolm Martin, and Carra Purvis enhanced the appearance of the Free Clinic, located at 4707 Poplar Springs Drive, by painting the exterior trim and landscaping the front of the building.

“We had been wanting to get this done for so long,” said Executive Director Stephanie Woodall, “so when Malcolm contacted us asking what they could do to help, this was the first thing I thought of, but they didn’t stop there.”

In addition to the enhancements, the group also sponsored a donation drive. “This was the largest donation drive the Clinic has ever received – I was amazed at the amount of items the group was able to collect,” said Woodall. Items donated included hand sanitizer, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, gift cards for future needs, and toiletries for patients.

Leadership Lauderdale is a program of the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation that provides participants with the opportunity to learn about different community organizations and businesses. Each year, participants break into groups to complete community service projects.

“The Free Clinic of Meridian is honored to have been chosen, and we appreciative Leadership Lauderdale’s support in our effort to serve the underserved and underprivileged adults in our area,” stated Woodall, “This group has been amazing and worked hard to help the clinic, and we are grateful for each one of them.”

The Free Clinic of Meridian offers free primary medical care, healthcare education, and medication assistance for more than 1000 uninsured adults who are also ineligible for Medicaid or Medicare and earn 200% or less of the Federal Poverty Level.

Services are provided by residents from EC Healthnet’s Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, volunteer physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. The providers are supported by volunteer nurses, medical assistants, and administrative personnel. The clinic receives no state or federal funding and operates through donations, private grants, and fundraisers.

For more information about becoming a patient, volunteering, or donating, please visit the Clinic Facebook page (Free Clinic of Meridian), website www.freeclinicofmeridian.com, or call 601-286-5551.

Patient and volunteer applications are available on the webpage or at the clinic, which is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m.