Nancy Morgans-Ferguson – Shalom Free Clinic
About ten years ago, Nancy Morgans-Ferguson was temporarily filling in as the secretary at her local congregational church when a homeless woman with a severe disability came in to the office. Though she was hard to understand because of her speech impediment, Nancy learned that those living on the street often experience humiliating treatment and prejudice when seeking medical care, and that there is a major lack of medical care options in general for the homeless. In 2007, Nancy founded the Shalom Free Clinic to provide free medical care in a comfortable, respectful, and anonymous atmosphere with the help of volunteer doctors, nurses, PAs, mental health professionals, med school students and mental health professionals. This community-driven effort has performed close to 40,000 patient visits and treated over 14,000 patients for myriad causes, including basic medical care, treatment and counseling for mental and behavioral health, and additional services such as massage, legal services, and even haircuts.