HealthNet provides great company and great family (and sometimes great food) to all of our patients that we serve.  Specifically during the holidays, many of our Health Centers provide an atmosphere to celebrate.

• The holiday spirit is spread throughout the Barrington Health Center when families participate in the Toys for Tots program.  Families in need come by two weeks before Christmas and receive toys from our social workers to provide their children a loving and fun Christmas.

• Our Martindale-Brightwood Health & Dental Center partnered with our People’s Health Center to provide a holiday party for their patients.  The sense of community brings the great company and the great family aspect of the holiday celebration.

• Southeast Health & Dental Center also brings SANTA to the kids at their holiday party.

These are just quick examples about how health care is much more than just check-ups and prescriptions.  Federally Qualified Health Centers are a sense of pride in each of their neighborhoods.  It is a place to gather.  It is a place to receive care.  And, it is a place to provide care to others.

To learn more about what our health centers do for their neighborhoods visit our website.  Do you have ideas on involving the neighborhood centers in more ways than just the holiday season?  Comment below.

• Donating last year’s coat to a homeless shelter
• Dropping some spare change into the Salvation Army bell ringer’s red bucket
• Purchasing a toy for the Toys for Tots program

HealthNet has seen seen an outpouring of generosity over the last couple weeks. Groups have come together to donate coats, hats, gloves and blankets to our Homeless Initiative Program, and social workers at our Community Health Centers are getting ready to distribute toys to children in need thanks to organizations like Toys for Tots and Mattel’s Toy Donation Program.

But what happens when the new year begins and people get back to their daily lives?

HealthNet’s social workers fight tirelessly throughout the year to ensure that thousands of families and children are having their basic needs met. These needs include referrals to area programs to help with heating assistance, bus passes to get to their health care appointments, and guidance on where to find job training and educational services. Our social workers also work with families to help provide school uniforms, properly fitting shoes and even a gift for parents to give their child on his or her birthday. During the holiday season there seems to be an abundance of organizations helping families provide toys to their children for Christmas but what happens when June comes along and a child is without a birthday gift?

With your help, HealthNet’s social workers can continue to provide these services year round. Please consider donating $25 to help purchase a birthday gift to a child who would otherwise go without.