On a visit to Agape Clinic during the February 24 Ministry Monday, students, faculty and staff were treated to an inspiring glimpse of the clinic’s operation and a chance to meet with Executive Director Stephanie Bohan, who is a Perkins student.
Started in the basement of nearby Grace United Methodist Church, the Agape Clinic provides quality health care services to underserved people and welcomes all who come for help, with no questions asked about income or documentation.
Barbara Taylor, an M.T.S. student, was one of the participants. Having worked for 23 years as a registered nurse in a Dallas hospital, she says the clinic is helping to meet a desperate need that she sees every day in her job.
“As we’re discharging patients, we often hear that they have problems getting their meds and doing follow-up visits,” she said. “They can’t afford insurance and don’t have doctors. As a result, they don’t come to the hospital until they are critically ill. Many of these are people who are working and have jobs.”
The clinic offers dentistry, dermatology, women’s health, exercise equipment, physical therapy and more, and distributes fresh fruits and vegetables through the North Texas Food Bank a few times each month.
“I truly felt the presence of God within that place,” said Taylor. “The clinic embodies that unconditional love, agape.”
Ministry Monday is a program of the Office of Community Engagement.