Originally published in the 2017 Summer Quarterly Explorer
photo via CrossOver Ministry
CrossOver Medical Clinic which serves the poor and uninsured in Richmond and Henrico has gotten a lot of attention from River Road Church recently.
Sixteen RRCB ladies attended CrossOver’s Annual Spring into Action Breakfast at the Commonweath Club in late March. An inspiring message was heard from a former patient of the clinic who is now working in her community as a Lay Health Promoter, after finishing the training program offered by CrossOver. Donations were given for the clinic.
Additionally, Executive Director Julie Bilodeau spoke on Wednesday Night, April 26, at RRCB, giving an over view of the services of CrossOver. It is sad to hear that insufficient volunteer nurses keeps CrossOver from being able to treat as many patients as need service. 
About 65 to 70 patients are turned away each week at the Quioccasin Road West End Clinic location.
On May 1st, the Faith Link Sunday School Class, with Judy Collins’ leadership, took 20 River Road members and friends on a tour of the Quioccasin Road West End Clinic, which is located across from Regency Mall. They went to see the whole clinic but especially the recently completed “Connections Center” room where volunteers are being invited to provided services other than medical ones for the patients and their families. The majority of the clients are refugees or immigrants, many of whom speak Spanish or Arabic. One idea of those who visited is to create a children’s entertainment/learning center corner for children waiting for a parent to be seen in the clinic. A second is to offer a sewing and mending center with sewing machines available at certain times.* A time for conversational English or tutoring is another possibility and instruction in computer use is yet another possibility.
If you are interested in volunteering with CrossOver Ministry, contact Judy Collins (804-750-2377 or jebcollins@verizon.net) for more information.
* RRCB is funding a Circulo de Costura (Sewing Circle) at CrossOver Ministry. In July, The FaithLink class, led by Margaret Phelps, submitted a grant request, written by Andrea Glaze, to the Board of Missions (BOM) Catch the Spirit Special Committee ($100,000 grant from the Endowment Fund). Click here for more information about the Circulo de Costura, how you can help this project, and the Catch the Spirit grant application.