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Dick Baldwin is amazing
By: David Bruce Jr
Dick Baldwin is nothing short of amazing.
Dick runs the Frederick Mission of Mercy traveling health clinic
From the Mission of Mercy website:
Mission of Mercy, a nonprofit organization, seeks to restore dignity to all people by being an instrument of "Healing through Love". based on an innovative volunteer-based model, M of M is able to treat large numbers of patients with active and retired medical professionals
On July 28th, at 4:40 AM I found myself waiting in line at the
Frederick Church of the Brethren I'd been without health insurance for almost a year and needed to find out if I had cancer.
The reason I had to get there so early is because Mission of Mercy's free health clinic is swamped- in this economy, Demand Exceeds Supply
There were a dozen people in line before I got there and I was there at 20 minutes of 5AM!
Many of them were there to get teeth pulled. There just aren't enough dentists to serve the number of people needing dental care.
At 7:00 AM the doors opened at the Frederick Church of the Brethren. Dozens of people came through the door- Dick Baldwin was there to greet them
Too many people in need and not enough Dentists to go around.
Without Dick Baldwin, the truly needy would be left out.
How I found out about Mission of Mercy through working part time for D & D Pony Rides, we provided pony rides for the Mission of Mercy Fund Raising "Regatta" at Carolyn Scott's Home in Westminster.
That day I saw many people putting their money where their heart is.
People from all walks of life come to Mission of Mercy for free health care and free dental care.
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My father died of prostate cancer in July 2005. I had symptoms of prostate problems...
I also found my self temporarily homeless recently. I'd moved out of the Hurley Hilt'n and into a basement apartment off Jefferson st. The owner of the house was not an American Citizen, he'd remodeled the basement (without adhering to local building codes) and the basement apartment's bathroom plumbing frequently overflowed.
The owner of the home blamed me for the toilet backing up and tried to evict me. After calling the police on me and finding he had to give me 30 days to vacate he resorted to packing my belongings up while I was at work.
Without a lease or even a written agreement I had no way to prove I had to move and at no fault of my own... so I got the City Of Frederick's Building Inspector to condemn the apartment.
This left me with no place to go.
It got worse...
I found myself living in Frederick City's Cold Weather Shelter, I had a job, had the use of a friends car but it was 20 degrees outside and I couldn't hold my $1000 week job while sleeping in my car.
I'd gotten sick, I thought I'd contracted something from the unsanitary bathtub... I couldn't seem to digest my food.. it hurt to eat, I thought maybe it was Chrones disease?
I was losing weight, I couldn't muster the energy to unload my tractor trailer.
My friends at the Post Office Warehouse (Landover H.A.S.P.) would unload my truck for me.
On the 89th day, the day before my health insurance was to kick in-
the US Mail Contractor in Frederick Maryland (Blue Moutain Express) I worked for fired me.
Fired me for being sick?
I was aghast. I didn't think they could do that, I'd gone to the Frederick Community Action Agency for help with my digestive problem... I had a doctor's note...
Maryland is a Right To Work State
that means a firm can fire you for any reason at any time.
Now what was I going to do?
Since then I had multiple health problems... and no job
The company I worked for thought I was using drugs... I was losing weight and didn't look healthy.
I really thought maybe I had cancer... I thought I'd not live to see my Granddaughter grow up.
So I waited in line at the Mission of Mercy traveling health clinic from 4:40 am until they could see
me at 11:00 am
I do NOT have cancer!
I have a prostate infection, not an enlarged prostate!
What was wrong is that I'm now lactose intolerant?
How can I live for 50 years and now all of a sudden I'm allergic to milk?
Without the Mission of Mercy I'd still be depressed and without a job and without any hope of living to see my grandchildren.
Dick Baldwin is to the Mission of Mercy what a seasoned "Non Com" is to soldiers under fire.
(a Non Com is a Non Commissioned Officer, a Sargent or Chief Petty Officer)
Mission of Mercy is (from the perspective of a client) like a M.A.S.H unit
chaotic and ruthlessly efficient.
When the artillery shells start exploding overhead all the lieutenants start peeing their pants.
The grunts look to the Sargent to get their fat out of the fire.
Dick Baldwin is such a Sargent.
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David Bruce Jr.
Social Media Marketing for 501c3 charities provided pro bono
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