| Free Clinic Beacon House |
| St. Petersburg Free Clinic 863 3rd Avenue N. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Phone 727.821.1200 Fax 727.821.9263 |
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| Being Engaged in the Most Rewarding Mission |
Joyce Karoleski, RN, volunteers in the Free Clinic Health Center
on a regularly scheduled basis. Not only does she oversee the
organization and inventory of the medicine room, Joyce also
works with patients weekly.
meeting her, there is an instant connection. It is very clear that
Joyce cares about each person as a unique individual,
deserving of dignity and respect. When patients speak, Joyce
REALLY LISTENS - giving eye contact, watching body language,
asking appropriate questions for clarification. There is no doubt
that patients are in great hands!
on a regularly scheduled basis. Not only does she oversee the
organization and inventory of the medicine room, Joyce also
works with patients weekly.
meeting her, there is an instant connection. It is very clear that
Joyce cares about each person as a unique individual,
deserving of dignity and respect. When patients speak, Joyce
REALLY LISTENS - giving eye contact, watching body language,
asking appropriate questions for clarification. There is no doubt
that patients are in great hands!
| Free Clinic Food Bank |
| Free Clinic Health Center |
| Free Clinic Services |
| Residence |
Joyce also volunteers with securing sponsorships and planning for Battle of the Minds. An excerpt from a letter she
wrote to potential sponsors, below, characterizes the passion Joyce has for the mission of the Free Clinic.
As an extremely fortunate person, the aspect of poverty, hunger and the inability to access health care have always
been foreign concepts to me. This all changed in October of 2008, when I found St. Petersburg Free Clinic. I have
been a senior executive with two international health care companies, as well as a business owner and proudly a
registered nurse. Presently, I am engaged in the most rewarding mission I have ever had the honor to undertake. I
am a nurse volunteer with St. Petersburg Free Clinic. I now interact with people every day who live and breathe
hunger, poverty, and the inability to access mainstream health care.
The majority of our clients are not the homeless you see in the downtown parks or on the side of the road. Our clients
are the 30 year employees permanently laid off, who have exhausted their unemployment benefits, who no longer
qualify for COBRA, and have not met the government poverty level to qualify for welfare benefits. Our clients are the
housekeepers at the hotels on the beach who make minimum wage and cannot afford health care insurance. Our
clients are the self-employed contractors whose phone stopped ringing 18 months ago, with no unemployment
benefits and no health care insurance. Our clients are the working poor who have had their hours reduced so they no
longer qualify for health care benefits. One client could be your neighbor who no longer can afford their house and is
facing foreclosure, has no health care benefits, and is an insulin dependent diabetic who has no idea how he or she is
ever going to be able to pay for the health care and pharmaceuticals needed to stay alive.
Thank you, Joyce, for all you do for the Free Clinic.
wrote to potential sponsors, below, characterizes the passion Joyce has for the mission of the Free Clinic.
As an extremely fortunate person, the aspect of poverty, hunger and the inability to access health care have always
been foreign concepts to me. This all changed in October of 2008, when I found St. Petersburg Free Clinic. I have
been a senior executive with two international health care companies, as well as a business owner and proudly a
registered nurse. Presently, I am engaged in the most rewarding mission I have ever had the honor to undertake. I
am a nurse volunteer with St. Petersburg Free Clinic. I now interact with people every day who live and breathe
hunger, poverty, and the inability to access mainstream health care.
The majority of our clients are not the homeless you see in the downtown parks or on the side of the road. Our clients
are the 30 year employees permanently laid off, who have exhausted their unemployment benefits, who no longer
qualify for COBRA, and have not met the government poverty level to qualify for welfare benefits. Our clients are the
housekeepers at the hotels on the beach who make minimum wage and cannot afford health care insurance. Our
clients are the self-employed contractors whose phone stopped ringing 18 months ago, with no unemployment
benefits and no health care insurance. Our clients are the working poor who have had their hours reduced so they no
longer qualify for health care benefits. One client could be your neighbor who no longer can afford their house and is
facing foreclosure, has no health care benefits, and is an insulin dependent diabetic who has no idea how he or she is
ever going to be able to pay for the health care and pharmaceuticals needed to stay alive.
Thank you, Joyce, for all you do for the Free Clinic.