Mission of Mercy Arizona

Wishing you a restful and rejuvenating Labor Day. Our offices are closed today in observance of the holiday but will reopen tomorrow. 😎

✨ Volunteer Spotlight: Daisy Marquez ✨

We posted about Daisy a while back when she manned our booth at this event, but we recently had the opportunity to delve deeper and get to know this amazing volunteer! Daisy first heard about Mission of Mercy (MOM) while pursuing her biology degree at Northern Arizona University. An aspiring pre-med student, she remembered a nurse’s recommendation to volunteer with MOM. After graduating and moving back to Phoenix, Daisy decided to explore the opportunity.

Daisy now volunteers as a Spanish-English medical interpreter at MOM clinics, bridging language gaps and contributing to health equity. "I love volunteering for MOM because I believe in their mission of providing quality care to underserved communities at no charge," Daisy shares.

Her story is a reminder of the impact that dedicated volunteers can have on their communities. Thank you, Daisy, for your commitment to making healthcare accessible for all! Read more about her story on our blog here: https://www.amissionofmercy.org/arizona/volunteer-spotlight-daisy-marquez-medical-interpreter/

Interested in joining our team? Learn more about our volunteer opportunities at momaz.org.

SAVE THE DATE: NOV. 20, 2024

We will be hosting our annual fundraising event from 6-8 p.m. November 20 at the beautiful 🌵🪷🪻Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix!

Mark your calendar and bring a friend or host a table!

P.S. Looking for corporate sponsorship opportunities? Contact [email protected] for the FY 2024 sponsorship packet to learn more.

We are grateful for the sustained support of several local municipalities that provide funding to MOM AZ to ensure access to healthcare for the uninsured residents of their cities/towns.

We’ve recently received support from:
City of Avondale, AZ
City of Glendale, Arizona - Government
City of Goodyear, AZ USA
City of Tolleson AZ - Government
Gilbert Town Hall

Thank you! 💙🙏

National Wellness Month is celebrated in August and is a time to focus on physical, mental, and emotional self-care. It's a chance to acknowledge the importance of holistic well-being, which includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

👉 Practice mindfulness
Being aware of what you're doing and where you are without being overwhelmed by your surroundings.

👉 Engage in healthy activities
Try activities that are enjoyable and nurturing, like hobbies you used to love or have been wanting to try. These could include journaling, exercising, playing a sport, seeing friends, going out to dinner, doing art, setting goals, or going to therapy.

👉 Prioritize work-life balance
In the workplace, this could include promoting healthy eating, encouraging exercise, and highlighting hydration.

Keeping kids healthy is a top priority, and Banner Health, one of MOM AZ's partners has a program to help lower income families. Banner is offering ✨FREE✨ health services to uninsured children in the Phoenix Metro area through its Community Clinics and the Banner Children’s Healthmobile according to a recent article in the Scottsdale Independent .

Services include:
🤧 Sick visits and follow-up care
⚽️ Well-child exams, sports, and camp physicals
💉 Immunizations
🩺 Health education
🩻 Referrals to specialty care (discounted fees may apply)

Banner's team, includes a nurse practitioner and bilingual medical assistant, provides compassionate care to children from uninsured families. To see if you qualify for our these services or to make an appointment, call Banner at (480) 412-6344. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly recommended.

Image: Scottsdale Independent

It’s and despite the importance of having a will, many of us never get around to it (or to revising it). If it has been on your mind but you are just not quite ready to dive in, there are a few things Marcus Seiter of Seiter Law PLLC recommends you do to ease into the process:

🖋 Make a list of all of your assets, including investments, properties, bank accounts and personal property such as art, jewelry and other valuables. This will come in handy.

🖋 Review all of your beneficiary designations of your life insurance, investment and retirement accounts. (PS: Wills do NOT override these designations, so keep this in mind when considering your heirs and make sure that these do not need updating.)

🖋 You may wish to include a charitable organization in your will as a beneficiary of your accounts. Consider organizations that you have donated to in the past, like MOM AZ, or have wanted to support in some way.

🖋 Even if you already have an estate plan, it should be updated regularly. Did you get married, divorced, have children, lose a family member or make any other major life changes? Make note of these changes and any important accompanying information.

🖋 Review a list of possible executors (people you will ask to facilitate or execute your will). Make sure that you want this person/people in the role and that they are willing to serve. If you have an estate plan, check your current executors as well.

When you are ready, reach out to your estate planning attorney to us for a free consultation from Seiter Law. We would be happy to help you navigate the process! You can find us at seiterlawpllc.com!

Thank you to the Desert Cancer Foundation of Arizona for providing the opportunity for our patients to get FREE mammogram screenings at Mission of Mercy's Avondale Clinic held at Avondale Baptist Church. Patients were provided with important reference information so they can continue their preventive care. 🩷

👉 Schedule your mammogram TODAY because early detection saves lives! 🩷

In 2024, Phoenix has broken more than a dozen all time heat records! Just in case you or someone you know needs help or a cool place to go, here are some options. Heat Relief Sites like cooling centers, respite centers, and hydration stations are established throughout Maricopa County during the summer from May 1 - September 30 and extreme heat events for those who do not have access to indoor cool environments. To learn more, call 2-1-1 for free assistance or visit https://hrn.azmag.gov/

Looking to make a difference? This , join MOM AZ in our mission to bring the doctor to the people!

A huge thank you to our donors, partners and all of our volunteers for making healing through Love possible. We couldn't do it without you!

Whether you donate, volunteer, or spread the word, every action counts. Learn more at MOMAZ.org. 💙

With the record heat here in AZ, we are proud to announce that our long-time partner, Americares , has invited Mission of Mercy Arizona to participate in the Climate Health Equity for Community Clinics Program! In collaboration with The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE), this initiative aims to enhance health resources for communities impacted by climate change.

MOM AZ will be part of the second cohort, focusing on wildfire action plans and testing a heat-health intervention developed by the first cohort. This program presents a valuable opportunity for us to strengthen our patients’ heat relief resources through collaboration with clinics nationwide.

Did you know that volunteering offers incredible health benefits, especially for older adults? Here’s how giving back can boost your well-being:

Improves Physical & Mental Health 🧠💪
Staying active and engaged reduces stress, lowers depression, and enhances overall health. Plus, volunteers tend to live longer!

Provides a Sense of Purpose 🎯
Volunteering offers fulfillment and teaches valuable skills. Whether it's crafting, guiding, or comforting, your time matters.

Nurtures Relationships 🤝
Volunteering is a fantastic way to make new friends and build a strong support system. Share experiences, grow together!

Join us in making a difference—your community and health will thank you! You can learn more about us by visiting our website at momaz.org and clicking "Get Involved" and then "Volunteer"

From all of us at MOM AZ, 💙

Thank you to our amazing MOM AZ team (by row, left to right):

💙 Paula Caravalho, Executive Director
💙 Kristi Geiger, Director of Development
💙 Shoshana Simones, Community Engagement Manager
💙 Brad Smith N.M.D, Medical Director
💙 Roselynde Bryant N.M.D, Assistant Medical Director
💙 Donna Castrenze-Steele FNP, RN, Nursing Director
💙 Diana Navarrette, Office Coordinator
💙 Debi Lynch RN, Assistant Nursing Director

We take this opportunity to highlight and thank our Cornerstone Partners who support MOM AZ’s important work. We are grateful their commitment to community health and supporting MOM’s mission of providing free healthcare. We also thank our Clinic and Community Partners, which you can view on our website at https://www.amissionofmercy.org/arizona/community_partners/ 💙🙏

Sonora Quest Laboratories
CenterWell Pharmacy
Dignity Health Foundation East Valley
Banner Health
Sonoran University of Health Sciences
Albertsons Companies PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program

Happy Patient Appreciation Day! 🎉 During Community Health Center Week, we celebrate and honor our incredible patients who inspire us daily. Thank you for trusting us with your care and being a vital part of our community. Together, we make healthcare accessible and compassionate for everyone. 💙🙏

Another amazing event where we were able to share information about the services Mission of Mercy offers to our community including free primary healthcare and prescription medications. Thank you Avondale Middle School for inviting us to this Community Resource Fair! Thank you Elba Serrato Meza for manning the table for us and making sure we reached as many patients as possible!
💙🙏 Community of Schools - ECF, LC and AMS

Community Health Centers which receive federal (and sometimes state) funding now serve 1 in 10 Americans – an increase of nearly 1 million patients since 2023. This highlights the growing demand for affordable primary care services. MOM AZ is a safety net for for those who don’t have the means to pay even a sliding fee scale or a copay for basic healthcare. Our patients do not have to prove need and are surrounded with dignity and love. Join us and donate today so we may care for our neighbors who need us. https://givebutter.com/momaz 💙 🙏 ✨

Source: nachc.org

As of 2023, Community Health Centers provide comprehensive care to more than 30 million patients at 14,500 sites in every U.S. state and territory. They are not-for-profit organizations driven by the mission to improve the well-being of the communities they serve. By providing care, Community Health Centers save the healthcare system more than $24 billion annually in reduced emergency, hospital, and specialty care costs. Source: National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC),

Though MOM is privately funded and more limited in scope than some of these centers, we are grateful to be able to offer services to our neighbors who need us without them having to prove need or answer any questions. Our goal is to maintain patients' dignity and serve with love. 🙏💙

August is National Make-a-Will Month! It's a great time to ensure your loved ones and cherished causes are cared for beyond your lifetime. Your will is one of the most important documents you'll ever create, helping to communicate your values and goals. Consider your priorities, the people you want to remember, your passions and the property you wish to distribute. We recommend that you seek professional advice to craft a plan that best suits your needs and values (we can help!). Let's bring peace of mind to our families and communities. Reach out to

Big love and gratitude to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Gregory's Fresh Market for their roles in providing diabetes education and fresh produce distribution at our South Phoenix clinic last week. Both of these organizations have a history of support for our patients at many of our clinics. Thank you also to Cecilia, our nationally credentialed Certified Diabetes Care Education Specialist. She works with patients to provide 1:1 disease education/counseling, group education classes, nutrition counseling, HbA1c testing, and more. Thank you to Cecilia and our community partners for supporting this vital work! 💙🙏

A true friend loves unconditionally. 🫶

MOM AZ is blessed with the most amazing volunteers! Our interpreter Daisy Marquez represented MOM at the Stonepoint Community Church Summer Community Event last week. We are grateful for these opportunities to share what we do and help new patients find us! 💙🙏

If you’ve already given in response to Mission of Mercy’s $50,000 Summer of Love Match Challenge, thank you SO much! Your generosity will directly support patient care and our six clinic sites in Maricopa County. 🌵 If you haven’t given yet but plan to, there’s still time to make a difference!

✨Our challenge ends July 31st and we still have $11,000 left to raise.✨

We truly appreciate your generosity. 💙 Your support is helping Mission of Mercy provide primary care and prescription medications to uninsured patients during the hot summer months where care is critical for our most vulnerable patients. 🙏

In honor of the start of the , we thought we'd remind you of this post we shared back in January! Health insurance is NOT affordable for many Americans, including 🥇 Olympic Gold Medalists 🥇 who have graced the cover of the Wheaties box! We're sharing part of the emotional interview with gymnast Mary Lou Retton whose recent unexpected illness put her in the hospital twice and spurred her daughters to ask for help paying for her mounting medical bills. Retton is famous for her performance in the women's all-around gymnastics event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She won the gold medal in this event, becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics. Clip from NBC's Today Show. 🔴🟡🟢🔵⚫️

See the whole interview here: https://www.today.com/health/disease/mary-lou-retton-pneumonia-hospitalization-symptoms-rcna132680

A few days ago, we shared that Americares invited MOM AZ to join the Climate Healthy Equity for Community Clinics Project with Harvard University. Dr. Roselynde Bryant will discuss the health impacts of extreme heat and wildfire smoke on vulnerable populations. This project aims to create customized heat-health and wildfire action plans for community-based clinics.

Americares has provided free medications and supplies to MOM clinics for decades. Dr. Bryant reached out in 2015 to expand this relationship. She explains: “The climate health equity program hosted by Americares and Harvard Chan C-CHANGE presents an opportunity for MOM to strengthen our patients’ heat relief resources by collaborating with similar clinics around the country.” Thank you, Dr. Bryant!



Read more on our blog here: https://www.amissionofmercy.org/arizona/americares-selects-mom-az-to-participate-in-climate-healthy-equity-project

"Giving promotes happiness, draws us closer to others, and strengthens empathy. These are vital for a wealthy life, which starts from the inside. After a certain point, more income doesn't increase well-being — but empathetically giving to others does," according to USA Today, which recommends planning your future to honor your past.

With even a simple estate plan, you can protect your family and leave a legacy that reflects your life's work. MOM has tools and ideas to help you, and it is easier and more rewarding than you might think. August is Make a Will month, so no time like the present! Call MOM Development Director Kristi Geiger at 602.861.2233 or reach her at [email protected].

Exciting news! Americares has invited Mission of Mercy Arizona (MOM AZ) to join the Climate Healthy Equity for Community Clinics Project with Harvard University. This collaboration, supported by a $6,000 grant, builds on our long-term partnership with Americares, which has provided free medications and supplies to MOMAZ for decades. We're thrilled to strengthen our heat relief resources and work on a Wildfire Action Plan with other clinics nationwide. Stay tuned for more posts about this amazing opportunity!



Read more on our blog here: https://www.amissionofmercy.org/arizona/americares-selects-mom-az-to-participate-in-climate-healthy-equity-project