Herndon-based Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic served 700 different patients last year, but the clinic’s personnel does not believe everyone eligible for services knows of its existence. Thanks to a $5,000 grant from Reston-based Giving Circle of HOPE, the clinic will expand its community outreach program.
"The grant money will help us to reach out to the community, hopefully folks who could use our services," said Meagan Ulrich. The clinic conducts screenings at community churches and events, about twice a month, and identifies people who could be eligible for treatment at the Herndon facility. "Without their [Giving Circle] help we couldn’t reach people who need our help," said Ulrich. She said the clinic hopes to reach 1,000 people through the screenings.

The Giving Circle of HOPE awarded more than $50,000 to 12 local nonprofits, including the Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic. Since its inception in 2004, the Giving Circle — an organization of 100 members founded to promote volunteerism and effective philanthropy — has awarded more than $200,000 through its grant programs to organizations that serve the needs of Northern Virginians.

The Herndon-Reston FISH (Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help) also received a $5,000 grant, marking a fourth time the organization was awarded the money. "It means a whole lot to us that they have faith in our organization, that they continue to fund us," said Marcia Di Trapani, Herndon-Reston FISH President. This year’s grant will help the organization assist its clients with medication and medical supplies. "We hope to raise the amount of money we can give per request," said Di Trapani, who added that the need for help is on the rise. Since July, the nonprofit has served 108 people, giving more then $5,000, for medical assistance for the uninsured. During the same period last year, Herndon-Reston FISH handed out about the same amount of money to 100 people.

The need for the services the grant winners provide continues to rise in other areas also. Di Trapani said the biggest amount of money Herndon-Reston FISH gives out is for rent. "The rents have gone up so much," she said. The rent assistance accounted for $166,000 in the last budget year for the organization. While she is aware that Herndon-Reston FISH could never raise enough money to satisfy all of the needs of its clients, Di Trapani said the organization appreciates all money awarded or donated to it.

Ulrich said that the need for medical help is growing as well, although with the clinic moving to its own facility in March of 2007, more doctors and nurses are finding time to volunteer at Jeanie Schmidt. The clinic serves people with incomes at 200 percent and under of the poverty level. "Those numbers are growing and the numbers of the uninsured in that population are growing," said Ulrich of the people eligible for treatment at the free clinic. According to some estimates, she said, there are 44,000 people in the county who meet the free clinic’s criteria for treatment, compared to 32,000 estimated five years ago. Ulrich thinks the 44,000 estimate is lower than the actual number of people in the county who are eligible for the free clinic services. "Even though we’re growing, we can’t seem to grow fast enough," said Ulrich.



LINDA STRUP, the Giving Circle of HOPE president, said the trend in emergency need in the local area is no longer only the low-income and new immigrant populations. "Some of these people were living very well, but lost a job or health insurance; had a bad turn of luck," said Strup. However the low-income and immigrant populations continue to grow, said Strup. "Fairfax County has jobs, so we still have an influx of new workers" a lot of them immigrants and a lot of them without the means to live in the county, she said.

Strup said that through its own work in helping local people in need, and its membership in the Herndon-Dulles Chamber of Commerce, the Giving Circle seeks to educate itself of what the needs in the community are. As far as the grants are concerned, the Giving Circle entertains applications from the same organization three years in a row, and then asks the organization not to apply for a year. The Giving Circle is currently involved in four service projects, and is always looking for new members to help volunteer time and resources toward its projects. On April 4, the organization will conduct a hunger relief drive, Empty Bowl, at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Reston. Community members will pay $15 for a bowl, donated from networks of local potters, and food, donated from local restaurants and all of the proceeds of the event will go to Fairfax-based Food for Others.

This year’s grant winners will be honored at a reception on Jan. 18, which will take place at Reston Community Center at Lake Anne at 7:30 p.m. and will feature a display table for each recipient group. The public is welcomed and encouraged to attend. "Part of our mission is to educate the community; just to see what’s going on out there," said Strup. To learn more about the Giving Circle of HOPE, visit givingcircleofhope.org