“IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH MORE THAN A PHONE CALL AND A COUPLE OF VOLUNTEERS.”

The Struggle

I never thought finding a place to volunteer could be so difficult. I never thought someone would turn down my chiropractic services when I’m offering them for free. Unfortunately, this is the world we sometimes live in.

It might’ve been easier to just throw in the towel. Tell everyone I tried. Or, at the very least, volunteer out of my own office in Kalamazoo and see a few extra patients a month.

But that’s not me. Never has been. Never will be.

So I reached out again, and it was that very next phone call that made all the difference. A nearby clinic just one city over would become the start of something special – a simple partnership to better serve those in need, with the potential to blossom beyond Battle Creek and even the state.

The Power Of Volunteering

It wasn’t long before word of a chiropractor at the clinic spread, and I was soon double-booked. That’s when I realized just how powerful the act of volunteering could be – new patients were waiting as long as six weeks for one 10-minute session in some cases. This re-instilled in me that even one person can have a large impact on many, and how simple it is to do. And while I was helping to change their stories – I was also changing my own.

Now I look ahead. To refining my volunteer program. To creating a blueprint for other clinics – not just here at home – but across the country. To helping more of those in need than ever before.

My name is Jeff, and I help change the story.

With the generous help of the Community Healthcare Connections of Battle Creek, Jeff was able to change the story.

Education

To give children the greatest chance to thrive, we invest in early childhood programs that help each child start school ready to learn.  We also support programs that provide quality child care and after-school activities, get families involved in their children’s education, and help children become leaders.

Income

We’re helping families become – and stay – self-sufficient by investing in programs that help them stay in their homes, through rental assistance, budgeting and financial counseling. We also help people become financially stable by supporting job training and retention programs, and through the Tax Counseling Initiative and the Emergency Food and Shelter program.