Baptist Memorial Health Care and Christ Community Health Services hosted their annual Tree of Faith, Hope & Love holiday event for Baptist Operation Outreach patients on Friday, Dec. 15, at the Hospitality Hub in Memphis. At the festive event, 26 volunteers ministered to 295 individuals without permanent housing this season.
Volunteers greeted the attendees and served a warm lunch while holiday music played. They gave each participant a backpack filled with gifts donated by Baptist and Christ Community. Each backpack contained items the homeless population often need for the winter, such as socks, thermal undergarments, gloves, hats, scarves, COVID-19 test kits and toiletry kits for both men and women.
Participants also had the opportunity to mail holiday cards to their loved ones, get their blood pressure checked and get a flu shot.
“Tree of Faith, Hope & Love is an annual event for Baptist Operation Outreach patients, and we look forward to it every year,” said Keith Norman, vice president/chief government relations and community relations officer for Baptist. “It brings joy to our patients, and it is another way for us to care for their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs.”
Many kind volunteers helped to make the Tree of Faith, Hope & Love holiday event a success. On Thursday, Dec. 14, 15 volunteers sorted and packed 300 backpacks at the packing party at Baptist. “Baptist Health Sciences University students on break came out and really took charge and were a great help,” noted Ann Marie Wallace, system senior community outreach coordinator.
In 2005, Baptist Memorial Health Care joined with Christ Community Health Services to officially start the Baptist Operation Outreach mobile clinic for the homeless, which has since expanded to include a location in Catholic Charities of West Tennessee. Today, Baptist Operation Outreach is one of the largest providers of free medical care for the homeless in Shelby County.
Thank you to the team members who have donated through the Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation to Baptist Operation Outreach – Tree of Faith, Hope & Love! For more information about Baptist Operation Outreach, click here.
Team members can still donate throughout the year to help make events like Tree of Faith, Hope & Love possible for one of our most vulnerable populations. Click here to make a monetary donation, or click here to donate PTO or make a one-time payroll gift.
