12/02/2024
Merry Christmas, 2024
In 1999, Hurricane Floyd put the entire Zarephath Campus in Somerset, NJ, between the Raritan River and Canal, under 14 feet of water. A little house on the edge of the campus was left empty, and we got permission from the Pillar of Fire to set up a clinic to help the poor and uninsured. The government assistance programs were leaving so many behind and we wanted to fill in the gap. Volunteers cleaned up the building, erected walls and we opened our doors in 2003.
We began to see the homeless, the undocumented, single mothers with small children, and the under-employed who were barely making it. They had high blood pressure, diabetes, abdominal pain rashes, and pneumonia. Word of mouth caused us to grow, and in 2011 we moved into a new building out of the flood plain. Two weeks after we moved in, Hurricane Irene destroyed our first clinic. God had given us the green light to press on.
We see people who had just lost their jobs, people whose spouses had left them, those who were recently discharged from prison or psychiatric hospitals with no outpatient availability. We never shut down during the COVID pandemic and God kept us healthy.
When Daniel talked to King Nebuchadnezzar at the height of his power, he told him to “break from his wicked past and be merciful to the poor.” God’s heart is with those who are struggling, and we feel privileged to be His hands and feet. This is real charity, where the giver and recipient are truly blessed.
We accept no government money and are completely dependent on gifts from people like you. For these past 21 years, we have relied on volunteer doctors and nurses to bless so many. Physicians from other countries volunteer to learn how medicine is practiced in the United States. High school and college students play an important role as they volunteer in many ways.
At this time of year, we ask you to make a tax-deductible donation so we can continue to do this important work. The cost to provide care is just $15 per patient visit as we use the funds carefully.
May God shed his grace on your family during this beautiful time of year.
Sincerely, Drs. John and Alieta Eck, Dr. Albert Johnson, Dr. Norm Shoenfeld, board members, graduate physicians, nurses, medical students, volunteers and the office staff of the Zarephath Health Center
To donate, mail check to:
Zarephath Health Center, 3 Ministry Center Drive, PO Box 9182, Somerset, NJ 08873
