Harrisburg, PA – Beacon Clinic for Health and Hope is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $10,000 UPstream grant from The Greater Harrisburg Foundation, a regional foundation of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, for work taking place in 2019. The Greater Foundation UPstream Grant opportunity seeks to improve our area communities by supporting existing or new “upstream” systems, interventions, programs or projects that attempt to create positive social change by addressing a problem at its source rather than managing its “downstream” symptoms.

Through this opportunity, grant funds will work to support Beacon Clinic for Health and Hope as it addresses leadership for Beacon Clinic by hiring an Executive Director to evaluate needs and implement changes for expansion of services for free healthcare to the uninsured and underserved in the Greater Harrisburg Area.

The Executive Director will work closely with the Board of Directors to identify and address needed infrastructure for improving and expanding patient care and hours of operation. In addition, the Executive Director will increase community outreach and collaborations as well as recruitment of volunteers and fulfill future staffing needs. Current collaborative relationships with UPMC Pinnacle, Drayer Physical Therapy, the United Way of the Capital Region and Uptown Discount Pharmacy make it possible to provide much needed services to our patients. The Executive Director will also seek opportunities for funding through grants and other donors.

The Beacon Clinic Board President, Dave Getz, Esquire, has stated “Our new Executive Director, Debra McClain’s, professional background is a great fit for our organization. She understands nonprofits need to be run like a business and is making great strides to develop the infrastructure needed to sustain the healthcare provided by our compassionate staff and volunteers.” Debra McClain, has shared “Beacon Clinic serves a vital need to our community. I look forward to being instrumental in implementing news ways to communicate and care for the diverse patient population we serve, providing continuity of care to our existing patients and paving the way to care for new patients in 2019 and in the years to come.”

Beacon Clinic for Health and Hope is a registered 501c3 not for profit primary healthcare clinic. Our mission is to inspire hope, health and well-being by providing free high quality, culturally competent, faith-based primary healthcare to underserved and uninsured adults in the Greater Harrisburg Community. From its inception, Beacon Clinic has also provided free medications to those patients who cannot afford to pay.