WEBVTT 00:00:08.820 --> 00:00:11.220 Hello and welcome to Good News York sponsored 00:00:11.220 --> 00:00:13.439 by As in the Go, Get As in the Go dot com, Mike 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:16.539 Brindisi with you. Not in studio. I wish this 00:00:16.539 --> 00:00:18.660 was our studio. It's absolutely beautiful. I 00:00:18.660 --> 00:00:21.559 am here today at Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists 00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:24.679 to meet some of the team. They also the team 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:26.780 members for Operation Walk New York, which is 00:00:26.780 --> 00:00:29.219 a nonprofit volunteer medical services organization 00:00:29.219 --> 00:00:32.219 providing free hip and knee joint replacement 00:00:32.219 --> 00:00:35.780 for patients who are underserved. Kim Murray, 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:39.520 Vinny Marino, Amelia Serio, and Jim Colon. Did 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:43.340 I say your name right, Serio? Serio. Okay, I 00:00:43.340 --> 00:00:47.420 got it right. So you guys do so much, and I want 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:49.420 to get into all of that, but let's start. Just 00:00:49.420 --> 00:00:51.799 go around the table, introduce yourself, and 00:00:51.799 --> 00:00:53.640 tell us a little bit about what you do. So my 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:56.140 name is Amelia Serio. I work at ASWA as a medical 00:00:56.140 --> 00:00:58.429 assistant. I'm the team, I was that patient care 00:00:58.429 --> 00:01:00.270 assistant, so helping out with physical therapy 00:01:00.270 --> 00:01:02.289 and the nurses, it was just amazing experience. 00:01:03.509 --> 00:01:06.370 Great. I'm Kim Murray. I'm the chief clinical 00:01:06.370 --> 00:01:08.769 officer here at Syracuse Ospetic Specialists, 00:01:08.810 --> 00:01:12.109 and my role in Operation Walk New York is I am 00:01:12.109 --> 00:01:14.430 a board member and the clinical director for 00:01:14.430 --> 00:01:19.049 the program. And I'm Jim Colon for SOS. I am 00:01:19.049 --> 00:01:21.069 the director of ancillary services at some of 00:01:21.069 --> 00:01:23.530 the clinical departments, including radiology. 00:01:23.709 --> 00:01:27.590 And for Operation Walk, I'm the cargo logistics 00:01:27.590 --> 00:01:31.590 coordinator. I'm Vincent Marino at SOS. I am 00:01:31.590 --> 00:01:33.469 one of the physical therapists here and in the 00:01:33.469 --> 00:01:36.670 department I also do operations supervisor. And 00:01:36.670 --> 00:01:39.989 then as part of the team of Operation Walk, I'm 00:01:39.989 --> 00:01:42.090 part of the therapy staff there, you know, getting 00:01:42.090 --> 00:01:44.329 people up, they have surgery, you get them walking, 00:01:44.450 --> 00:01:48.209 get them moving. Awesome. Now, obviously, as, 00:01:48.209 --> 00:01:52.109 you know, employees of SOS, You do amazing things 00:01:52.109 --> 00:01:55.769 to begin with. You're providing medical services. 00:01:56.510 --> 00:01:59.689 But what's really exciting is Operation Walk, 00:01:59.730 --> 00:02:02.629 which is your non for profit where you provide 00:02:02.629 --> 00:02:06.530 medical services for people who are in countries 00:02:06.530 --> 00:02:10.389 that are underprivileged. Recently, you guys 00:02:10.389 --> 00:02:13.430 did a trip to Ghana and I mean, we could talk 00:02:13.430 --> 00:02:15.469 about that this entire time because it's amazing. 00:02:15.870 --> 00:02:18.490 Why don't you tell us a little bit about how 00:02:18.490 --> 00:02:21.250 Operation Walk came about? and kind of what it 00:02:21.250 --> 00:02:25.050 is exactly that you do. Okay, sure. So Operation 00:02:25.050 --> 00:02:29.590 WAW is a national organization. It was founded 00:02:29.590 --> 00:02:31.750 by a world -renowned joint replacement surgeon 00:02:31.750 --> 00:02:35.330 in 1995, Dr. Larry Dorr. He has since passed 00:02:35.330 --> 00:02:38.669 away, but left a great legacy behind being the 00:02:38.669 --> 00:02:40.990 Operation WAW medical mission program that he 00:02:40.990 --> 00:02:47.000 founded. So since 1995, he was... based in LA. 00:02:47.219 --> 00:02:50.439 So the first Operation Walk chapter was Operation 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:53.139 Walk LA, and they began going to, they started 00:02:53.139 --> 00:02:55.439 in Russia, but then they began going other places 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:58.979 in the world to provide access to hip and knee 00:02:58.979 --> 00:03:02.599 replacement surgery, where that was not available. 00:03:03.080 --> 00:03:05.080 Not available because they didn't have the skill 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:06.979 set for the surgeons there, and certainly not 00:03:06.979 --> 00:03:08.659 available because they didn't have the implants 00:03:08.659 --> 00:03:11.560 and equipment needed for the surgery. So when 00:03:11.560 --> 00:03:14.319 he launched that and became very successful, 00:03:14.569 --> 00:03:16.610 And then over the course of the years, between 00:03:16.610 --> 00:03:20.610 1995 and now, they have had other geographic 00:03:20.610 --> 00:03:24.909 locations of Denver, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, 00:03:25.150 --> 00:03:27.990 Boston, Chicago, Syracuse, which has expanded 00:03:27.990 --> 00:03:32.530 to New York, reach out to the LA organization 00:03:32.530 --> 00:03:34.569 and say, hey, we'd like to start our own chapter. 00:03:35.030 --> 00:03:38.449 So we function loosely organized with an overarching 00:03:38.449 --> 00:03:40.840 umbrella of Operation Walk. but then we have 00:03:40.840 --> 00:03:43.419 individual chapters that are our own independent 00:03:43.419 --> 00:03:47.879 501c3 organizations that we take our show on 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:50.680 the road with our own volunteers to go to other 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:52.659 places in the world that don't have access to 00:03:52.659 --> 00:03:55.080 hip and knee replacement surgery. That's amazing. 00:03:55.259 --> 00:03:58.680 So it's less about funding and just more about 00:03:58.680 --> 00:04:04.159 the skill set that they lack over there. You 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:06.379 mean in terms of need? In terms of need, yeah. 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:10.400 Yeah, it's both. So they don't have the skill 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:12.900 set because they don't have the funding or the 00:04:12.900 --> 00:04:15.900 access to what they need to do the surgery. So 00:04:15.900 --> 00:04:18.720 no one would go down the path of developing that 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:20.519 skill set when they don't have access to what 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:23.240 they need to be able to do those surgeries. Absolutely. 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:26.439 That makes so much sense. How do you go about 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:30.459 finding a team that wants to be a part of this 00:04:30.459 --> 00:04:34.680 and building that team? So we launched in 2010. 00:04:35.069 --> 00:04:37.709 Our first medical mission trip was to Nepal. 00:04:38.029 --> 00:04:40.250 That was our orientation trip. So we fielded 00:04:40.250 --> 00:04:42.610 a team of about 50 people that went to Nepal. 00:04:43.470 --> 00:04:45.730 It was such a tremendous experience, and the 00:04:45.730 --> 00:04:50.850 volunteers had so, you know, so emotionally overwhelming 00:04:50.850 --> 00:04:52.829 with the good that we were able to do there. 00:04:52.910 --> 00:04:56.129 Really seeing the outcomes in patients that each 00:04:56.129 --> 00:04:58.990 year as we developed and strategize and plan 00:04:58.990 --> 00:05:03.170 for a new trim. The word, the power of the word 00:05:03.170 --> 00:05:06.490 of the volunteers speaks for itself. We rarely 00:05:06.490 --> 00:05:08.490 have trouble filling positions because people 00:05:08.490 --> 00:05:11.009 want to return as a team member when they can. 00:05:11.370 --> 00:05:13.970 Sometimes life prevents them from doing that. 00:05:15.250 --> 00:05:18.449 Conflicts with time off, conflicts with weddings, 00:05:18.850 --> 00:05:20.649 life events and things like that. But most volunteers 00:05:20.649 --> 00:05:23.629 always want to return. And then when we do have 00:05:23.629 --> 00:05:26.009 vacancies on the team, through that word of mouth 00:05:26.009 --> 00:05:28.389 and just telling our story, we have plenty of 00:05:28.389 --> 00:05:30.250 volunteers that want to jump on and become part 00:05:30.250 --> 00:05:32.069 of that team. I mean, how could you not want 00:05:32.069 --> 00:05:36.550 to? It's such an amazing thing that you do. And 00:05:36.550 --> 00:05:39.170 now with Operation Walk, obviously, we're going 00:05:39.170 --> 00:05:41.149 to talk about the trip to Ghana. And you talked 00:05:41.149 --> 00:05:45.310 about Nepal. What is everyday life in Syracuse 00:05:45.310 --> 00:05:47.350 like for Operation Walk? What are some of the 00:05:47.350 --> 00:05:50.050 kind of things that you do here on a daily basis? 00:05:50.459 --> 00:05:52.779 Yep, so I'm going to let Jim talk about one of 00:05:52.779 --> 00:05:55.819 the biggest things, but an overarching kind of 00:05:55.819 --> 00:05:58.540 planning for a mission trip. There's several 00:05:58.540 --> 00:06:01.519 components to it. The planning starts about a 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:04.220 year out. It's about a year long process for 00:06:04.220 --> 00:06:07.660 a variety of reasons. The number one being financial 00:06:07.660 --> 00:06:11.839 support. Our team is completely a volunteer team. 00:06:12.459 --> 00:06:15.920 Nobody in Operation Walk in any chapter, including 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:19.990 ours, draws a salary. We have no administrative 00:06:19.990 --> 00:06:23.329 staff. It's really a 100 % volunteer organization. 00:06:23.829 --> 00:06:27.569 And so everything we do to fund the trip really 00:06:27.569 --> 00:06:29.990 relies on the generosity of others, fundraising 00:06:29.990 --> 00:06:32.470 activities, spreading word of mouth, and trying 00:06:32.470 --> 00:06:34.910 to get the money we need to be able to feel the 00:06:34.910 --> 00:06:36.750 trip. So that's the first thing. We have to get 00:06:36.750 --> 00:06:39.589 to a certain amount in our bank account in order 00:06:39.589 --> 00:06:42.089 to say, OK, hey, we have enough money. We can 00:06:42.089 --> 00:06:44.110 go ahead and start planning the logistics of 00:06:44.110 --> 00:06:46.569 the trip. So there's the financial component. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:49.160 There's the operational component of fielding 00:06:49.160 --> 00:06:51.519 the team, you know, doing the logistics, working 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:53.740 with whatever country we're going to, with the 00:06:53.740 --> 00:06:56.740 governmental relations, with all, with the hospital 00:06:56.740 --> 00:06:58.339 that we're going to be working with, with the 00:06:58.339 --> 00:07:00.279 healthcare providers that are queuing up the 00:07:00.279 --> 00:07:02.500 patients and getting them ready for us to see. 00:07:03.060 --> 00:07:05.060 And then actually just all the logistics that 00:07:05.060 --> 00:07:07.839 go along with the trip. The biggest piece, which 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:09.540 I'm going to turn over to Jim to talk about, 00:07:09.980 --> 00:07:12.579 is the preparation of the supplies and cargo. 00:07:12.740 --> 00:07:16.360 And that's his... lifelong activity for a year. 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:21.680 It is, yeah. So, like Kim said, you look at the 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:24.220 bank account and you try to determine, is it 00:07:24.220 --> 00:07:27.540 realistic to take a trip in any given year? And 00:07:27.540 --> 00:07:29.439 then we start backdating and we say, okay, we 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.199 have a target of an October trip, so we have 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:35.139 to start counting backwards. We know how long 00:07:35.139 --> 00:07:41.879 it takes to get... attempt to get granted implants 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:46.600 and all the consumables. When we backdate, we 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:50.220 start looking at, we have a local shipping partner 00:07:50.220 --> 00:07:52.959 here that's been great to us at Seco Logistics. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:57.699 And we look at a potential shipping date. We 00:07:57.699 --> 00:08:00.740 know now that we've been to Ghana six times. 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:03.279 Six times. We know how long it takes to ship 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:06.730 to. typically arrive to Ghana. So we set the 00:08:06.730 --> 00:08:10.509 date and when we started backdating, we realized 00:08:10.509 --> 00:08:14.810 typically, oh, we're late. And so then it's a 00:08:14.810 --> 00:08:18.209 lot of paperwork as fast as possible to try to 00:08:18.209 --> 00:08:22.110 get implant companies to donate the implants 00:08:22.110 --> 00:08:27.069 and to start counting the inventory that's sitting 00:08:27.069 --> 00:08:29.490 at Seco on the shelves from the last trip, what's 00:08:29.490 --> 00:08:33.049 back, what's outdated and what's usable. You 00:08:33.049 --> 00:08:37.470 know, talk a little bit about, it's a standalone 00:08:37.470 --> 00:08:41.950 operation, meaning that when we go to the destination, 00:08:43.009 --> 00:08:46.509 we bring, we're reliant, probably 95 % or greater 00:08:46.509 --> 00:08:48.889 on everything we bring and ship in advance. So 00:08:48.889 --> 00:08:51.330 a lot of Jim's role in his team, he has a team 00:08:51.330 --> 00:08:53.789 of local people that help with that, are getting 00:08:53.789 --> 00:08:57.740 the donations or purchasing. the items, but just 00:08:57.740 --> 00:08:59.799 talk about the breadth of the items that you 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:03.240 bring. Yeah, we have an inventory list, a par 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:05.279 level list of what we would typically bring on 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:08.940 any particular trip, and we have the column of 00:09:08.940 --> 00:09:11.580 here's what we have now, and the numbers are 00:09:11.580 --> 00:09:13.759 typically very low, here's what we need to make 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:16.799 the trip, and here's the balance, here's what 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:19.139 we have to acquire, and that's when we start 00:09:19.139 --> 00:09:23.330 begging, borrowing, maybe stealing. supplies 00:09:23.330 --> 00:09:26.929 and we get as much donated as possible until 00:09:26.929 --> 00:09:29.950 we finally get to the point of Kim gives the 00:09:29.950 --> 00:09:33.070 okay okay start start placing orders and we have 00:09:33.070 --> 00:09:35.450 a great partner over at our surgery center a 00:09:35.450 --> 00:09:37.309 couple of great partners at the surgery center 00:09:37.309 --> 00:09:41.450 who do inventory and procurement that's that's 00:09:41.450 --> 00:09:44.509 their their specialty and we start placing orders 00:09:44.509 --> 00:09:48.509 and they start showing up at the warehouse in 00:09:48.509 --> 00:09:55.899 my garage and it's We ship 20 full pallets of 00:09:55.899 --> 00:09:59.419 products, and that goes into a 40 -foot container, 00:09:59.539 --> 00:10:01.820 which is an 18 -wheeler container. And those 00:10:01.820 --> 00:10:04.679 pallets are all packed exactly at the maximum 00:10:04.679 --> 00:10:07.620 height of, well, I know it's to my fingertips. 00:10:09.879 --> 00:10:12.620 And those are full. We have a deadline to get 00:10:12.620 --> 00:10:16.639 the truck down to the Port of New Jersey. where 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:18.240 it then goes on the ship and then we watch it 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:21.740 go overseas and finally hit the port in Ghana 00:10:21.740 --> 00:10:26.620 and then from there anything goes. We can get 00:10:26.620 --> 00:10:29.179 to that too. The interesting part is unpacking 00:10:29.179 --> 00:10:32.519 the container in Ghana. A team of 50 people unpacked 00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:34.519 the truck in, what, two, three hours we have. 00:10:35.179 --> 00:10:37.700 We haven't marched it, you know, to where it 00:10:37.700 --> 00:10:39.919 needs to go and disperse it throughout the hospital. 00:10:40.039 --> 00:10:42.600 It's quite the event. That is amazing. And it's 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:45.929 really... Think about, like, the scope of what's 00:10:45.929 --> 00:10:49.750 brought. It's the band -aids to the implants 00:10:49.750 --> 00:10:51.750 that are actually put in the hips and knees, 00:10:52.049 --> 00:10:54.429 and then everything between. It's suture, it's 00:10:54.429 --> 00:10:57.909 the OR supplies, it's crutches, it's lockers, 00:10:58.029 --> 00:11:01.529 it's everything. The only thing we do is there's 00:11:01.529 --> 00:11:04.450 certain things that, a small amount of things 00:11:04.450 --> 00:11:06.370 we purchase in country, because it doesn't make 00:11:06.370 --> 00:11:09.210 sense. IV bags are big, they're heavy. Why would 00:11:09.210 --> 00:11:12.259 we... pack IV bags and send them over. So we, 00:11:12.259 --> 00:11:14.639 we purchase those in country from them. It also 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:16.740 supports their elderly autonomy when we do that. 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:20.000 And then some medications, they can't, you can't 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:22.419 ship the things we buy. But other than that, 00:11:22.460 --> 00:11:24.720 you know, Jim and his team, all the team of volunteers 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:27.639 have really procured every single thing you can 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:31.220 possibly need for the trip. That is absolutely 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:33.220 mind blowing to me. I can't even go to the grocery 00:11:33.220 --> 00:11:36.039 store and remember everything on my list. I can't 00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:39.500 imagine having to prep. for this kind of trip. 00:11:39.860 --> 00:11:42.840 Are there any, because it is, you know, different 00:11:42.840 --> 00:11:45.379 countries, different laws, how do you deal with 00:11:45.379 --> 00:11:47.460 the legal side of things? Are there things that 00:11:47.460 --> 00:11:49.580 you kind of have to hurdle or work around or 00:11:49.580 --> 00:11:54.480 work with? Government relations in any country 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:57.779 are challenging. So the foundation is having 00:11:57.779 --> 00:12:00.899 good relationships with, you know, your destination 00:12:00.899 --> 00:12:03.120 hospital, the administration of that hospital, 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:07.080 and then the Minister of Health. the Minister 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:11.139 of Commerce, all those ministries within a country. 00:12:11.779 --> 00:12:15.700 And very honestly, Ghana has been challenging 00:12:15.700 --> 00:12:18.639 because their government turns over quite frequently. 00:12:19.019 --> 00:12:20.980 And just when you forge the right relationships, 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:22.980 you get the right paperwork in place, you think, 00:12:23.059 --> 00:12:25.679 okay, we're good this time. Okay, government 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:28.299 turns over and it's like Groundhog Day, you're 00:12:28.299 --> 00:12:30.620 starting all over, like, hey, we're out, we should 00:12:30.620 --> 00:12:34.460 walk newer. Again, Jim deals with a lot of that 00:12:34.460 --> 00:12:37.639 and a lot, especially the import paperwork, the, 00:12:37.639 --> 00:12:39.539 you know, everything we need to get those supplies 00:12:39.539 --> 00:12:41.779 in there because we can get the team in there 00:12:41.779 --> 00:12:44.419 pretty easily. But if the supplies aren't there, 00:12:44.940 --> 00:12:47.340 you know, it's the mission's a no -go. Yeah. 00:12:48.059 --> 00:12:50.120 And, you know, before we get into the Ghana trip, 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:55.179 real quick, what is the process of kind of finding 00:12:55.179 --> 00:12:58.639 out where there is, you know, what countries 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:01.539 are in need of these services? How do you go 00:13:01.539 --> 00:13:04.759 about choosing where you do these missions? Yep, 00:13:04.759 --> 00:13:07.899 so as part of the National Umbrella Organization, 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:11.259 there are established sites. What it means by 00:13:11.259 --> 00:13:13.259 established sites, it means that those government 00:13:13.259 --> 00:13:16.019 relations have been forged, that you have an 00:13:16.019 --> 00:13:18.840 in -country host or angel, sometimes they call 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:21.100 them. It's willing to work with you at that end 00:13:21.100 --> 00:13:24.659 to accrue the patients to the hospitals that 00:13:24.659 --> 00:13:27.360 the operational teams work with have to virtually 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:30.240 shut down their ORs for the time that we're there. 00:13:30.460 --> 00:13:32.759 So they have to have some level of agreement 00:13:32.759 --> 00:13:34.639 that they'll do that, that they'll support the 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:37.960 patient care before we get there, and then after 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:39.960 we leave, that they'll continue that patient 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:43.559 care. So that's critically important, is that 00:13:43.559 --> 00:13:46.700 you have those relations. So there's probably 00:13:46.700 --> 00:13:50.259 20 sites that we would call established operation 00:13:50.259 --> 00:13:52.779 walk sites, and all of the teams can rotate through 00:13:52.779 --> 00:13:55.120 those. We've been to other countries besides 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:59.980 Ghana, but in 2014, the LA kind of mothership 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:03.639 reached out and said, hey, someone in Ghana says 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:05.740 there's a significant need there, which there 00:14:05.740 --> 00:14:07.860 is, and I'll let these guys talk about that, 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:11.700 would you consider going to Ghana? So that involved 00:14:11.700 --> 00:14:14.399 probably two or three scouting trips to Ghana 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:17.139 to make the right relations. That's what our 00:14:17.139 --> 00:14:20.279 team did, to make the right connections, to make 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:22.340 sure you had the support, that you had a destination 00:14:22.340 --> 00:14:24.919 you could go to, and that you had medical staff 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:26.940 and administrative staff willing to do what they 00:14:26.940 --> 00:14:29.669 needed to do to bring us there. So we established 00:14:29.669 --> 00:14:33.289 Ghana in 2014. So that's kind of an Operation 00:14:33.289 --> 00:14:39.590 Walk New York startup for Ghana. But then any 00:14:39.590 --> 00:14:43.169 Operation Walk team is able to go there. So any 00:14:43.169 --> 00:14:45.210 Operation Walk team can go to any site that's 00:14:45.210 --> 00:14:47.309 established. But Ghana is really the one that 00:14:47.309 --> 00:14:50.590 we launched and the one we own. I think we've 00:14:50.590 --> 00:14:54.590 really felt very committed to Ghana because it's 00:14:54.590 --> 00:14:57.679 where we can do the most good. for the, you know, 00:14:57.899 --> 00:14:59.919 the most value, the most good with the people 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:01.779 that need it the most. The difference between 00:15:01.779 --> 00:15:03.519 Ghana and a lot of the other countries, the people 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:07.559 are younger. So sickle cell. So in Ghana, the 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:09.559 black Africans have sickle cell anemia, which 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:11.100 causes they have actually necrosis of the hips. 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:13.840 So we're working on young people there. Our average 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:17.470 age of our hips are what, 30? Twenty -five. Yeah, 00:15:17.710 --> 00:15:20.429 so younger. We go to other countries that's mostly 00:15:20.429 --> 00:15:22.629 untreated, trauma and arthritis, and are older. 00:15:22.750 --> 00:15:25.690 So we're working on young people and really changing 00:15:25.690 --> 00:15:27.789 lives in ways that doesn't happen in other countries. 00:15:28.309 --> 00:15:30.110 You know, we have people that come in and they 00:15:30.110 --> 00:15:33.110 haven't sat in a chair for seven years. They 00:15:33.110 --> 00:15:35.769 haven't worked. Their husbands or wives have 00:15:35.769 --> 00:15:38.730 left them because they can't have kids. And we 00:15:38.730 --> 00:15:41.320 fix that, and then they can... Hopefully give 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:43.700 head to life some of the people we fixed in the 00:15:43.700 --> 00:15:46.360 past there are now students and teachers and 00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:49.220 and So we the good that we do there. That's what 00:15:49.220 --> 00:15:50.879 we've really committed to. That's why we like 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:54.059 Ghana That's amazing. And if you guys don't know 00:15:54.059 --> 00:15:57.419 I'm not a doctor I know shopping so but I do 00:15:57.419 --> 00:16:00.159 wonder you know, you're coming from a country 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:04.679 where primarily your Your patients are older 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:06.700 and now you're going to a country where you just 00:16:06.700 --> 00:16:09.529 said they're you know, 24 25 years old From a 00:16:09.529 --> 00:16:13.730 medical standpoint, does that change any procedures 00:16:13.730 --> 00:16:17.789 or in the way that they recovered? Is it something 00:16:17.789 --> 00:16:21.450 that you have to kind of learn before you go? 00:16:21.649 --> 00:16:24.090 I bring a lot more crutches and walkers. Okay, 00:16:24.269 --> 00:16:26.110 here they get walkers, there they get crutches. 00:16:26.250 --> 00:16:27.809 All right. So we've learned that over the years 00:16:27.809 --> 00:16:30.970 that we don't need as many walkers. But there's 00:16:30.970 --> 00:16:33.750 challenges on the orthopedic side with the physicians 00:16:33.750 --> 00:16:36.370 and how they do the surgeries because the pathology 00:16:36.370 --> 00:16:40.389 is different. It's much more severe as far as 00:16:40.389 --> 00:16:42.269 just how bad the joints are compared to here. 00:16:42.450 --> 00:16:45.549 And then their bones are different, right? Yeah, 00:16:45.629 --> 00:16:50.169 the skilled surgical team that we bring and we've 00:16:50.169 --> 00:16:54.049 got, I would say one of our surgeons that goes 00:16:54.049 --> 00:16:58.169 has 40 years experience as a joint replacement 00:16:58.169 --> 00:17:00.610 physician. And he clearly still says, these are 00:17:00.610 --> 00:17:02.870 the toughest cases I've ever done in my life 00:17:02.870 --> 00:17:05.950 because of what Vinny identified. The pathology 00:17:05.950 --> 00:17:08.970 is different. The age is different. But when 00:17:08.970 --> 00:17:11.450 you talk about the recovery, the recovery is 00:17:11.450 --> 00:17:15.130 pretty quick. They're very hardy people that 00:17:15.130 --> 00:17:17.369 don't have antibiotic resistance because they 00:17:17.369 --> 00:17:20.069 don't take antibiotics like we do. They take 00:17:20.069 --> 00:17:23.339 very few medications. and they're really committed 00:17:23.339 --> 00:17:27.400 to having the surgery and getting up and just 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:31.859 starting in right away, their recovery. They're 00:17:31.859 --> 00:17:35.119 hardy people, very resilient, and this is so 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:37.140 life -changing for them that they really don't 00:17:37.140 --> 00:17:39.339 care that they're going to experience the pain 00:17:39.339 --> 00:17:42.599 of surgery or whatever. Six to 10 hours after 00:17:42.599 --> 00:17:44.859 bilateral knees or bilateral hips, we'll have 00:17:44.859 --> 00:17:47.119 them up and walking, and they're smiling. Oh 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:50.920 my God. It's really... different and then we 00:17:50.920 --> 00:17:53.380 learn a lot there by what we do there out of 00:17:53.380 --> 00:17:55.960 necessity or out of just because of the pathologies 00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:57.779 a little different we bring some of that experiences 00:17:57.779 --> 00:17:59.619 home and say hey we can do these things here 00:17:59.619 --> 00:18:01.740 in the states because we've seen it work in this 00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:06.859 situation so. And Amelia, no, Amelia is out on 00:18:06.859 --> 00:18:08.880 the floor, so she's, you know, the OR people 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:10.819 are doing their thing, recovery room, you know, 00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:13.380 PT, but Amelia's at the end where she's seeing 00:18:13.380 --> 00:18:16.880 all of that pre and post -op, so that would be 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:19.460 great if you could kind of enjoy it. The second 00:18:19.460 --> 00:18:21.299 day we walked in, it was amazing, just the way 00:18:21.299 --> 00:18:23.519 people walking around were like, oh, take a second, 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:25.380 let's help you out here, and they're just running 00:18:25.380 --> 00:18:27.119 around, and they're all just like, everybody 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:29.079 was taking videos of each other walking around, 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:31.299 and just so amazing. A lot of them are going 00:18:31.299 --> 00:18:33.039 back to university and school, even if they had 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:35.099 said different educational pathways that they 00:18:35.099 --> 00:18:37.140 weren't able to access before the surgery, so 00:18:37.140 --> 00:18:42.119 just... Yeah. So many questions about the trip 00:18:42.119 --> 00:18:45.279 itself, but real quick, do you all play a different 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:48.059 individual role when you go over, or is it kind 00:18:48.059 --> 00:18:49.880 of you're all on the... Obviously, you're all 00:18:49.880 --> 00:18:52.599 on the same team. You're all doing the same thing, 00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:54.980 or does everybody kind of have a different role? 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:59.150 Yeah, the team is made up of... and all of the 00:18:59.150 --> 00:19:01.470 roles we need, the traditional roles here in 00:19:01.470 --> 00:19:04.150 country. You know, the surgical team, which is 00:19:04.150 --> 00:19:06.349 surgeons, anesthesia providers, OR teams, the 00:19:06.349 --> 00:19:08.589 recovery room teams, physical therapy, you know, 00:19:08.630 --> 00:19:12.509 logistics, cargo, floor staff, all of that. But 00:19:12.509 --> 00:19:15.029 one of the big things is, you know, functions 00:19:15.029 --> 00:19:17.990 within their scope of practice. But also part 00:19:17.990 --> 00:19:20.349 of the onboarding for volunteers is we clearly 00:19:20.349 --> 00:19:24.650 say, you do what you're gonna do within your 00:19:24.650 --> 00:19:26.109 role, but then you're gonna do everything else. 00:19:27.280 --> 00:19:29.119 I like to say there, I'm a physical therapist, 00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:32.079 but I also do whatever Kim needs me to do. You 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:33.940 know, I've had physicians walking holding IV 00:19:33.940 --> 00:19:35.900 bags while I'm walking patients. Wouldn't happen 00:19:35.900 --> 00:19:39.019 here in the States. You know, or we had one of 00:19:39.019 --> 00:19:41.920 our volunteers is a director of HR of a hospital 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:43.740 system and he's a patient care assistant on the 00:19:43.740 --> 00:19:47.039 trip. You know, so, you know, everybody just 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:49.700 jump on board and do what needs to be done. There's 00:19:49.700 --> 00:19:52.880 always something to do. Yeah. Along those lines, 00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:55.079 what does it feel like for the Operation Walk 00:19:55.079 --> 00:19:57.920 Team to go from a U .S. hospital environment 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:02.920 to a Ghanaian context of limited resources? How 00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:06.660 does that shift your perspective on things? Well, 00:20:06.900 --> 00:20:09.890 we've been there. enough at the same hospital 00:20:09.890 --> 00:20:12.769 with a lot of the same phases. So we've adjusted, 00:20:12.910 --> 00:20:15.210 we've adjusted the equipment we go with, we adjust 00:20:15.210 --> 00:20:19.470 our expectations. But you know that you may show 00:20:19.470 --> 00:20:22.430 up in some of the surgical lighting doesn't work. 00:20:23.049 --> 00:20:25.210 Or much of the surgical lighting doesn't work. 00:20:25.250 --> 00:20:28.430 So you bring everything you can, maybe it's lighting 00:20:28.430 --> 00:20:34.480 on tripods, maybe it's... you know, hiking headlamps. 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:40.799 So we've learned and we're comfortable going 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:45.359 there now, expecting the unexpected. But they 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:51.480 do have, this is a big old hospital and they 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:53.140 do know what they're doing. They have biomed 00:20:53.140 --> 00:20:55.319 people there. I'm also supposed to be a biomed 00:20:55.319 --> 00:21:02.519 guy. My extent is duct tape and batteries. He's 00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:05.299 got a paper clip and a rubber band. Well, when 00:21:05.299 --> 00:21:08.920 things go down, there are people show up. You 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:10.700 know, we can talk about the autoclaves where 00:21:10.700 --> 00:21:12.660 you sterilize all of your equipment. Those things 00:21:12.660 --> 00:21:15.700 have to be up 100 % of the time to get for us 00:21:15.700 --> 00:21:17.579 to get to the finish line or else everything 00:21:17.579 --> 00:21:21.019 slows down and you start to find empty operating 00:21:21.019 --> 00:21:22.920 rooms that are clean and ready for the next patient. 00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:25.180 Kim will tell you, we have to turn these over 00:21:25.180 --> 00:21:28.500 fast. When there's an empty room for 10 or 15 00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:30.920 minutes, we all start worrying about the volume. 00:21:31.019 --> 00:21:34.240 Somebody's going to miss out on surgery because 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:38.619 an autoclave may have gone down. But they know 00:21:38.619 --> 00:21:40.859 we're coming. They have extra hands on deck. 00:21:40.859 --> 00:21:44.940 We bring everything we possibly can. Fuses. duct 00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:48.019 tape, you know, everything to try to keep going. 00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:51.319 And the experience has helped because we've been 00:21:51.319 --> 00:21:53.940 there. Your motto when you go there has to be, 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:56.960 you got to work what you got. And I think that's 00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:58.720 one of the things we like is overachievers and 00:21:58.720 --> 00:22:00.599 we love taking the challenge. And if we don't 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:02.460 have A, all right, we're going to switch to B. 00:22:02.990 --> 00:22:05.210 So out of all the inventory stuff, we lost the 00:22:05.210 --> 00:22:08.970 hand sanitizer this year. That's it, because 00:22:08.970 --> 00:22:10.569 you only didn't make it on the trip with the 00:22:10.569 --> 00:22:12.609 sanitizer. Well, I guess, I mean, maybe you did 00:22:12.609 --> 00:22:15.450 already answer. My next question was, you know, 00:22:15.950 --> 00:22:18.369 I think, you know, other than what you're actually 00:22:18.369 --> 00:22:21.009 doing, I think some of the most impressive parts 00:22:21.009 --> 00:22:24.009 of your mission is the logistics and the planning 00:22:24.009 --> 00:22:26.950 and everything. I'm assuming you guys have dealt 00:22:26.950 --> 00:22:30.950 with delayed cargo or transportation problems. 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:37.539 This is not like, oh darn, our shampoo has not 00:22:37.539 --> 00:22:40.779 arrived. We're talking about things that are 00:22:40.779 --> 00:22:43.559 helping to better people's lives. Do you have 00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:45.200 an experience where that happened and how do 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:47.839 you guys deal with that in the moment? We have 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:51.059 multiple experiences. So we don't mind the delay 00:22:51.059 --> 00:22:52.819 because we like to challenge and figure it out. 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:54.960 The problem is it costs surgeries and then we 00:22:54.960 --> 00:22:57.400 can help less people. So we've had years where 00:22:57.400 --> 00:22:59.819 we've had to cut the surgery schedule short because 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:04.119 We've had delays based on, you know, delays in 00:23:04.119 --> 00:23:05.859 cargo shipping and those kind of things, so. 00:23:06.339 --> 00:23:08.980 You know, ironically, one year, you know, it's 00:23:08.980 --> 00:23:12.039 usually as the foster recipients end with their 00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:14.480 government in terms of, you know, delays or paperwork 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:16.839 issues or things that delay. But one year was 00:23:16.839 --> 00:23:22.819 a 2019 where our cargo got stuck in the U .S. 00:23:23.059 --> 00:23:25.259 port and they wouldn't release it to go. You 00:23:25.259 --> 00:23:27.299 don't expect that to happen on the U .S. side. 00:23:27.339 --> 00:23:33.289 Right, right. Yeah. It was horrible. Again, we 00:23:33.289 --> 00:23:36.210 work with a professional logistics group here. 00:23:36.369 --> 00:23:39.150 We always meet our deadline for when the truck 00:23:39.150 --> 00:23:42.150 needs to be at the port to get the container 00:23:42.150 --> 00:23:44.710 on the ship. But US Customs, they're doing what 00:23:44.710 --> 00:23:48.069 they need to do. They flagged our container. 00:23:49.109 --> 00:23:52.390 God knows where it went. And they sat on it. 00:23:52.549 --> 00:23:56.809 And day by day, we missed the first ship. We 00:23:56.809 --> 00:23:59.670 missed the next ship another week later. We missed 00:23:59.670 --> 00:24:05.369 the third ship, all because the US Customs just 00:24:05.369 --> 00:24:06.789 parked our container somewhere. I still don't 00:24:06.789 --> 00:24:10.950 know why. Yeah. It cost us an extra $40 ,000 00:24:10.950 --> 00:24:14.769 that year to unload everything and send it by 00:24:14.769 --> 00:24:18.150 air. We had to fly everything there. Thank goodness 00:24:18.150 --> 00:24:21.829 for my logistics partner. But you can't just 00:24:21.829 --> 00:24:25.009 cancel the trip. There's 45 of us that have planned 00:24:25.230 --> 00:24:28.410 our personal vacation time, non -refundable, 00:24:28.490 --> 00:24:32.430 very expensive tickets, flights. Hotels are booked 00:24:32.430 --> 00:24:36.650 over there. Dinners are booked over there. Patients 00:24:36.650 --> 00:24:41.029 are queued up to come. Yeah, so they can turn 00:24:41.029 --> 00:24:44.529 it into a nightmare. We have a partner on the 00:24:44.529 --> 00:24:48.089 Ghanaian side now who understands cargo logistics. 00:24:48.170 --> 00:24:51.349 It's a profession. So he donates his time. He 00:24:51.349 --> 00:24:55.000 donates money, too, to pay taxes, that. were 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:57.200 supposedly, you know, we were supposed to have 00:24:57.200 --> 00:24:59.819 exempt. Right. And he does everything he can. 00:24:59.900 --> 00:25:02.579 This trip we were honestly in the car driving 00:25:02.579 --> 00:25:05.380 to JFK and I finally got the picture with the 00:25:05.380 --> 00:25:07.460 cargo container on the truck heading to the hospital. 00:25:07.720 --> 00:25:09.519 It was that day we were getting on the plane. 00:25:09.859 --> 00:25:13.920 So it's exciting. So obviously you guys are employed 00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:16.480 by Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists and Operation 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:20.339 Walk is kind of its own thing under that umbrella. 00:25:20.750 --> 00:25:25.849 How much is SOS involved in all of this? Is this 00:25:25.849 --> 00:25:29.910 kind of like a, hey, we're gonna handle the operation 00:25:29.910 --> 00:25:32.769 wall thing, or we've got it on our own, or are 00:25:32.769 --> 00:25:35.109 they involved in any sort of aspect of that? 00:25:35.390 --> 00:25:39.789 Yeah, SOS, the board of directors, the position 00:25:39.789 --> 00:25:42.390 shareholders for the company are... Many of them 00:25:42.390 --> 00:25:44.730 are members of our Operation Walk Team and come 00:25:44.730 --> 00:25:47.490 with us, but they're also very supportive of 00:25:47.490 --> 00:25:50.150 the mission organization. They assist us with 00:25:50.150 --> 00:25:53.789 fundraising. They assist us with logistics. You 00:25:53.789 --> 00:25:56.910 know, they let us use the physical plan to do 00:25:56.910 --> 00:25:59.910 storage of some things. There's many volunteers 00:25:59.910 --> 00:26:02.769 within the SOS walls that don't travel with the 00:26:02.769 --> 00:26:05.630 team necessarily, but there's internal SOS volunteers. 00:26:05.730 --> 00:26:07.970 They're helping with everything from fundraising 00:26:07.970 --> 00:26:11.410 to supply acquisition to... the reams of paperwork 00:26:11.410 --> 00:26:13.930 and applications and things that have to happen. 00:26:15.029 --> 00:26:17.670 Social media, we have, you know, SOS volunteers 00:26:17.670 --> 00:26:21.650 that help with that. So SOS is extremely supportive 00:26:21.650 --> 00:26:25.230 of our mission Walk New York and all of our mission 00:26:25.230 --> 00:26:28.029 trips that we take, both from a, you know, a 00:26:28.029 --> 00:26:30.789 human support. factor as well as a financial 00:26:30.789 --> 00:26:33.150 support fundraising factor. That's wonderful. 00:26:33.630 --> 00:26:36.170 Every year we get a little less SOS because people 00:26:36.170 --> 00:26:38.769 start moving and we have people now from Chicago, 00:26:38.950 --> 00:26:43.690 Boston, Tampa, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia, 00:26:44.150 --> 00:26:48.630 LA, Saratoga. We actually changed our name. We 00:26:48.630 --> 00:26:51.630 were incorporated as Operation Walk Syracuse 00:26:51.630 --> 00:26:54.230 and then we have a large number of volunteers 00:26:54.230 --> 00:26:56.950 that come from a partner orthopedic practice. 00:26:58.279 --> 00:27:01.380 which is home based in Albany and Saratoga area. 00:27:01.539 --> 00:27:04.740 We have a lot of physician, anesthesia, staff 00:27:04.740 --> 00:27:06.900 volunteers. So that's when, you know, a few years 00:27:06.900 --> 00:27:09.660 ago we changed the name to Operation Walk New 00:27:09.660 --> 00:27:11.859 York to better reflect our membership. I love 00:27:11.859 --> 00:27:14.819 that. How often are you guys doing these missions? 00:27:14.980 --> 00:27:16.759 Is this a once a year thing or every couple of 00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:19.700 years? It's supposed to be every year. Okay. 00:27:20.470 --> 00:27:22.910 We've gone every year for many years, but then 00:27:22.910 --> 00:27:24.369 when the bank account doesn't get to the right 00:27:24.369 --> 00:27:26.890 amount, we have to delay. Yeah. And a couple 00:27:26.890 --> 00:27:28.589 more questions. I know you guys are very busy 00:27:28.589 --> 00:27:30.769 and I want to respect that. But this is this 00:27:30.769 --> 00:27:37.630 is so interesting. So you hear about major surgeries, 00:27:37.849 --> 00:27:39.829 like heart surgeries, brain surgeries, and we 00:27:39.829 --> 00:27:42.509 all think, oh, my gosh, this is this is so life 00:27:42.509 --> 00:27:45.269 changing for these patients. But we all understand 00:27:45.269 --> 00:27:48.039 always that mobility and independence is. it's 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:51.119 just as important. It's a quality of life. And 00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:53.539 you kind of, from my perspective, you don't appreciate 00:27:53.539 --> 00:27:55.319 it until something's wrong, right? Like the first 00:27:55.319 --> 00:27:58.019 time I got a back injury and I, I mean, I was 00:27:58.019 --> 00:28:00.220 in pain just laying there, you know, you start 00:28:00.220 --> 00:28:04.019 appreciating things like that. What part does 00:28:04.019 --> 00:28:06.819 joint replacement play in restoring quality of 00:28:06.819 --> 00:28:09.440 life, especially like when patients are younger? 00:28:10.990 --> 00:28:14.049 Well, in Ghana, it's much different than the 00:28:14.049 --> 00:28:17.069 States. The States here is often just pain function 00:28:17.069 --> 00:28:19.250 related to, you know, more recreational activities. 00:28:19.750 --> 00:28:22.789 In Ghana, we're talking about life or death and 00:28:22.789 --> 00:28:26.309 the ability to contribute to their family, contribute 00:28:26.309 --> 00:28:29.769 to their... you know, town and community, you 00:28:29.769 --> 00:28:32.670 know, they can't work if they, these hips and 00:28:32.670 --> 00:28:34.609 some of the knees and the trauma that we see 00:28:34.609 --> 00:28:37.230 are so profound that they, again, can't sit. 00:28:37.470 --> 00:28:40.029 They can't use a normal, a normal bathroom setup. 00:28:40.369 --> 00:28:43.930 They can't, you know, walk without an assistive 00:28:43.930 --> 00:28:46.390 device. We see a lot of leg length discrepancies 00:28:46.390 --> 00:28:48.410 that are really, really, really severe, an inch 00:28:48.410 --> 00:28:51.890 or two. So they have, you know, severe, you know, 00:28:51.890 --> 00:28:55.750 gave abnormality. So there it... It's not even 00:28:55.750 --> 00:28:58.750 about function, it's about living and surviving 00:28:58.750 --> 00:29:03.869 to some degree. We're repeat team members, right? 00:29:03.930 --> 00:29:07.269 Amelia, this is her first year here, so I'd love 00:29:07.269 --> 00:29:10.160 to hear you just talk about... You know, the 00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:12.319 patients, they were, what did you experience? 00:29:12.500 --> 00:29:15.160 What did you see in the theater and feel? Because 00:29:15.160 --> 00:29:17.940 it's highly emotional. On the floor, it was definitely 00:29:17.940 --> 00:29:20.400 emotional. There was actually a woman that we 00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:22.619 had cared for who was homebound for many years. 00:29:22.940 --> 00:29:24.400 And she used to be in nursing school, and she 00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:26.240 had to jump out because she was unable to walk 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:28.240 from class to class and to actually care for 00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:31.039 patients. She had received a joint art placement 00:29:31.039 --> 00:29:33.519 in a crowd, which was in Ghana. And it was very 00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:35.599 expensive. She actually had to sell her family 00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:38.009 land to get the other hip replacement. And so 00:29:38.009 --> 00:29:39.769 it was amazing to hear that she was able to come 00:29:39.769 --> 00:29:42.089 in, follow the Facebook she found us on there, 00:29:42.349 --> 00:29:43.910 and get the other hybrid plays, and she was so 00:29:43.910 --> 00:29:45.950 excited to go back. And just a little stuff like 00:29:45.950 --> 00:29:47.809 she was like, I love to dance, I used to dance, 00:29:47.930 --> 00:29:50.329 and I didn't get to any more at all. Yeah. And 00:29:50.329 --> 00:29:54.929 so I imagine you must come back sometimes. with 00:29:54.929 --> 00:29:57.589 friendships. I mean, do you stay in touch with 00:29:57.589 --> 00:29:59.930 some of the patients after? I did follow some 00:29:59.930 --> 00:30:01.750 patients on Facebook, and they're all excited, 00:30:02.269 --> 00:30:03.930 and they also like to hear about the US, and 00:30:03.930 --> 00:30:05.369 we're just talking about Prince Donald, like 00:30:05.369 --> 00:30:07.450 McDonald's, stuff like that, that they're super 00:30:07.450 --> 00:30:09.349 interested in. All the things we take for granted. 00:30:09.670 --> 00:30:11.410 We've been there, what, six trips, you said? 00:30:11.630 --> 00:30:13.569 And I think every time we have people returning 00:30:13.569 --> 00:30:16.589 who've seen us years before, and I think this 00:30:16.589 --> 00:30:18.490 year we had somebody come that's been there every 00:30:18.490 --> 00:30:20.420 year. Just to say thank you. Just to say thank 00:30:20.420 --> 00:30:24.019 you. And he's... And when we say come to see 00:30:24.019 --> 00:30:26.640 us, it's a 16 -hour bus ride. Yeah. It's not, 00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:28.960 you know, getting in your car and driving down 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:31.339 the street. So that's a really rewarding stuff 00:30:31.339 --> 00:30:33.839 thing for us to see that and to see these people 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:35.799 year after year that they come back and say, 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:38.519 hey, thank you, and you're doing great work. 00:30:38.839 --> 00:30:41.400 You know, we see, especially working in social 00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:44.940 media, we see a lot of people out there... We 00:30:44.940 --> 00:30:47.440 call keyboard warriors that think they're changing 00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:49.440 the world by making some posts on Facebook and 00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:51.900 what you guys are doing You really are changing 00:30:51.900 --> 00:30:54.700 the world I mean you you are what we talk about 00:30:54.700 --> 00:30:56.539 when we say how can we make a difference in the 00:30:56.539 --> 00:30:58.460 world? You guys are doing that and I'm honored 00:30:58.460 --> 00:31:02.059 to be here Talking about it as far as the training 00:31:02.059 --> 00:31:04.299 you were talking earlier about One of the main 00:31:04.299 --> 00:31:07.079 reasons you do go over to Ghana is not just for 00:31:07.079 --> 00:31:09.460 lack of funding or resources, it's the training. 00:31:10.279 --> 00:31:11.859 A lot of the doctors there don't have the skill 00:31:11.859 --> 00:31:13.900 to do these kind of surgeries. So while you're 00:31:13.900 --> 00:31:16.319 over there doing these, is there an educational 00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:20.460 aspect too? Are you also kind of teaching their 00:31:20.460 --> 00:31:27.259 surgeons what to do? We do, but for the most 00:31:27.259 --> 00:31:30.700 part... is what they deal with at the orthopedic 00:31:30.700 --> 00:31:33.640 hospital there. I mean, we could teach them to 00:31:33.640 --> 00:31:38.000 do joint replacement. We could, you know, accentuate 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:40.000 their skill set with that, but they don't have 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:42.420 access to the implants and what's needed to do 00:31:42.420 --> 00:31:45.200 that. So it would almost be like a teaser to 00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:46.440 say, let me show you how to do it. Let me show 00:31:46.440 --> 00:31:49.359 you how, but you can't do it. Exactly. So really 00:31:49.359 --> 00:31:52.059 we do a lot of education and engagement with 00:31:52.059 --> 00:31:53.799 the medical staff and with the hospital staff, 00:31:53.900 --> 00:31:56.140 but it's more about... How do you prep the patients? 00:31:56.240 --> 00:31:57.960 How do you find the right patients that are going 00:31:57.960 --> 00:32:00.640 to get the most benefit from what we do? And 00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:04.000 then how do we work in tandem after we leave 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:06.680 for them? Because they're the eyes, ears, and 00:32:06.680 --> 00:32:09.460 hands on the ground after we leave. So we're 00:32:09.460 --> 00:32:11.859 in constant communication with them in terms 00:32:11.859 --> 00:32:14.140 of any patient issues that arise, any problems. 00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:17.920 The recovery process. Yeah. So they are completely 00:32:17.920 --> 00:32:20.279 responsible for the management of patients after 00:32:20.279 --> 00:32:25.490 we leave. Because of how important it is, the 00:32:25.490 --> 00:32:30.269 demand is, with what you do, do you find that 00:32:30.269 --> 00:32:32.730 when they know you're coming over, how do you 00:32:32.730 --> 00:32:34.890 manage the patient list? Because I would assume 00:32:34.890 --> 00:32:37.410 everybody's lining up, right? This is kind of, 00:32:37.490 --> 00:32:39.529 you're coming for a short period of time. We've 00:32:39.529 --> 00:32:42.150 got to fit it in. Kim gets lots of emails. I 00:32:42.150 --> 00:32:45.950 would imagine. Yeah, so the hospital administrator 00:32:45.950 --> 00:32:48.690 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Kofaritawa is where 00:32:48.690 --> 00:32:53.059 we go. Kofaritawa... We worked with him for most 00:32:53.059 --> 00:32:55.220 of the years, someone preceded him, but he's 00:32:55.220 --> 00:32:57.819 been with us for many, many years. He and his 00:32:57.819 --> 00:33:00.799 medical team accrue the patients is what we call 00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:04.019 it. So as patients reach out through email, through 00:33:04.019 --> 00:33:06.059 social media, or present to their hospital saying, 00:33:06.740 --> 00:33:08.740 hey, would I be considered for a hip or a knee 00:33:08.740 --> 00:33:11.240 replacement, they manage that list and they come 00:33:11.240 --> 00:33:14.900 up with a potential patient list. Sometimes we 00:33:14.900 --> 00:33:17.359 travel there to pick up the x -rays because they 00:33:17.359 --> 00:33:20.319 had a really... had an electronic pack system, 00:33:20.900 --> 00:33:24.059 or the ability to transmit images electronically, 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:26.420 which I think that's changing. But right now, 00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:29.059 they accrue the patients. We develop a patient 00:33:29.059 --> 00:33:32.279 list, which we get far in advance, even though 00:33:32.279 --> 00:33:34.099 more and more patients are added to the list, 00:33:34.119 --> 00:33:36.680 because it's hard to say no to anybody to at 00:33:36.680 --> 00:33:40.480 least be screened. But we had, I think, 380 patients 00:33:40.480 --> 00:33:44.019 on the list to be screened, reviewed, or whatever 00:33:44.019 --> 00:33:46.789 for this trim. We do a lot of pre -work here, 00:33:46.930 --> 00:33:49.690 like looking at the x -rays, looking at the patient's 00:33:49.690 --> 00:33:52.309 medical condition, looking at things like, first 00:33:52.309 --> 00:33:54.710 of all, do they even need surgery? Some people 00:33:54.710 --> 00:33:57.529 have a lot of pain that isn't, they think it's 00:33:57.529 --> 00:33:59.490 their hip or knee and it's not. It's their back 00:33:59.490 --> 00:34:01.849 or it's some other issue, in which case a hip 00:34:01.849 --> 00:34:03.710 or knee replacement is not going to help them. 00:34:03.950 --> 00:34:07.250 We also look to see what are their other medical 00:34:07.250 --> 00:34:09.449 conditions they have, because certainly the goal 00:34:09.449 --> 00:34:13.829 is to do a procedure, make them better. not cause 00:34:13.829 --> 00:34:16.050 any kind of complications because they're so 00:34:16.050 --> 00:34:18.510 medically unstable that something could happen 00:34:18.510 --> 00:34:20.210 during the surgery, like someone who's had a 00:34:20.210 --> 00:34:23.269 fresh heart attack or someone who has other major 00:34:23.269 --> 00:34:26.250 issues. So we try to have good, robust medical 00:34:26.250 --> 00:34:30.769 data about them. And then we also look at, you 00:34:30.769 --> 00:34:33.309 know, who are the candidates that are going to 00:34:33.309 --> 00:34:37.650 have the best recovery trajectory as well as 00:34:37.650 --> 00:34:41.849 can get back to life and society in Ghana. And 00:34:41.849 --> 00:34:44.110 so as we go through that pre -screening process, 00:34:44.329 --> 00:34:46.090 and then when we're there, screening clinic is 00:34:46.090 --> 00:34:49.349 just a crazy place, and people show up beyond 00:34:49.349 --> 00:34:51.929 the number of people we said we would identify. 00:34:52.090 --> 00:34:53.550 And that's probably the toughest part, right? 00:34:53.829 --> 00:34:56.190 You know, Amelia and Vinnie were there in screening 00:34:56.190 --> 00:34:58.610 clinic, and there's a lot of people that get 00:34:58.610 --> 00:35:02.010 nos. So, you know, talk about that. Yeah, it's 00:35:02.010 --> 00:35:04.590 definitely tough to sit there and just have to 00:35:04.590 --> 00:35:06.710 facilitate that, like, you know, I'm really sorry, 00:35:06.789 --> 00:35:10.329 you know. Yeah, there's probably, you know, in 00:35:10.329 --> 00:35:12.190 our screening clinic, we get there and it's kind 00:35:12.190 --> 00:35:14.110 of a big kind of warehouse set up with treatment 00:35:14.110 --> 00:35:16.369 rooms on the outside of it. And there's three, 00:35:16.489 --> 00:35:18.789 four hundred people milling around, you know, 00:35:18.949 --> 00:35:21.690 families, people on our list, people not on our 00:35:21.690 --> 00:35:23.650 list. They'll kind of walk up to us with their 00:35:23.650 --> 00:35:26.130 x -rays and say, can you look at these? Kim has 00:35:26.130 --> 00:35:29.730 never said no once in her life on any of those. 00:35:29.849 --> 00:35:33.050 We'd sit in there. Yes. So we, you know, one 00:35:33.050 --> 00:35:34.889 of the one of the great things about being there 00:35:34.889 --> 00:35:38.960 and not having to kind of live under the regulatory 00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:41.500 environment of the the states is we can add on 00:35:41.500 --> 00:35:43.780 people we can do things differently we can we 00:35:43.780 --> 00:35:45.980 can know all right we have an extra case open 00:35:45.980 --> 00:35:48.179 for for Wednesday we had somebody we can get 00:35:48.179 --> 00:35:50.760 them going right away so you know but there's 00:35:50.760 --> 00:35:52.539 a lot of benefits to that there too that we can 00:35:52.539 --> 00:35:56.440 just I focus 100 % on patient care which is really 00:35:56.440 --> 00:35:58.460 what we have to do that is incredibly selfless 00:35:58.460 --> 00:36:00.460 and amazing I was told I need to wrap it up but 00:36:00.460 --> 00:36:02.260 I have to ask this last question because it is 00:36:02.260 --> 00:36:06.429 important the reflection of cultural change cultural 00:36:06.429 --> 00:36:09.530 exchange and gratitude. You guys are coming back 00:36:09.530 --> 00:36:12.269 from Ghana, and you're working on these patients, 00:36:12.309 --> 00:36:13.789 and you're working in a different healthcare 00:36:13.789 --> 00:36:17.150 system. Your mindset must change, or at least 00:36:17.150 --> 00:36:18.730 your point of view. Can you talk a little bit 00:36:18.730 --> 00:36:20.269 about how you feel when you come back, maybe 00:36:20.269 --> 00:36:22.690 the first time, and what you learned? Again, 00:36:23.110 --> 00:36:25.289 so actually when I came back... It was just amazing 00:36:25.289 --> 00:36:27.989 to walk in and realize how grateful I was for 00:36:27.989 --> 00:36:30.469 all the supplies that I had, and for just everything 00:36:30.469 --> 00:36:32.929 that I had ready for me, even just our electronic 00:36:32.929 --> 00:36:36.289 healthcare system, everything, computer, everything. 00:36:37.489 --> 00:36:42.389 It's amazing. That just reminds me of a picture 00:36:42.389 --> 00:36:45.989 of Nick. Nick was another SOS medical assistant 00:36:45.989 --> 00:36:48.210 that went with us, and a picture that really 00:36:48.210 --> 00:36:50.489 resonates. I think it resonates with everyone. 00:36:50.969 --> 00:36:53.289 So many things you take for granted, right? You 00:36:53.289 --> 00:36:58.150 know, there is, here, we do cooling on patients 00:36:58.150 --> 00:37:00.730 post -op. That's a pain reduction, swelling reduction. 00:37:01.429 --> 00:37:04.429 And there, pouring in valves, getting blocks 00:37:04.429 --> 00:37:09.170 of ice, and then, you know, in the bag, he's 00:37:09.170 --> 00:37:12.309 got a hammer and he has to chop the ice to get 00:37:12.309 --> 00:37:15.590 them in little baggies to use. He's dealing an 00:37:15.590 --> 00:37:18.230 ice machine with the wiring to make the ice. 00:37:18.809 --> 00:37:21.190 These are the things that every American needs 00:37:21.190 --> 00:37:23.550 to hear and see, because I think we all need 00:37:23.550 --> 00:37:26.969 a moment of pause sometimes to say, we had a 00:37:26.969 --> 00:37:30.949 pretty good. Looking ahead, what are the hopes 00:37:30.949 --> 00:37:33.829 for your next missions, and how can people support 00:37:33.829 --> 00:37:38.730 Operation Walk New York? Well, we're hopeful 00:37:38.730 --> 00:37:41.730 that we can go back to Ghana again in the fall 00:37:41.730 --> 00:37:45.809 of 2026. But that heavily depends. I know we 00:37:45.809 --> 00:37:49.780 have a... very willing list of volunteers. They 00:37:49.780 --> 00:37:52.099 would pack up tomorrow and go if we could, but 00:37:52.099 --> 00:37:55.340 it always relies on funding and the ability to 00:37:55.340 --> 00:37:58.099 generate the money that we need to be able to 00:37:58.099 --> 00:38:03.179 fund a trip. So certainly any assistance with 00:38:03.179 --> 00:38:05.619 fundraising. No donation is too small. We have 00:38:05.619 --> 00:38:07.920 some grateful patients who might send in a $5 00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:11.159 donation. Well, a lot of $5 donations add up. 00:38:12.380 --> 00:38:17.199 So big or small, any way that individuals willing 00:38:17.199 --> 00:38:19.679 to give back or grateful patients can contribute, 00:38:20.019 --> 00:38:22.260 we very much welcome that. And we would go to 00:38:22.260 --> 00:38:27.980 OperationWalkNewYork .org. All right. Is it? 00:38:28.480 --> 00:38:31.480 It says OperationWalkNewYork .org. Okay, and 00:38:31.480 --> 00:38:33.940 that's what it is. Yes, and there is a donation 00:38:33.940 --> 00:38:35.960 link on there December 2nd, I believe, it's Giving 00:38:35.960 --> 00:38:38.920 Day. We'll be making a push for donations then. 00:38:40.400 --> 00:38:42.320 No one is too small, but we can use some really 00:38:42.320 --> 00:38:46.260 big ones too. We're healthcare people. We are 00:38:46.260 --> 00:38:49.119 really bad at asking for money. Because we like 00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:52.199 to give, we don't like to take. So we need some 00:38:52.199 --> 00:38:54.300 help on that side of things. Well, when people 00:38:54.300 --> 00:38:57.320 watch and listen to this interview, I think you 00:38:57.320 --> 00:38:59.000 won't have a hard time finding people that want 00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:01.579 to donate because your story is amazing. I'm 00:39:01.579 --> 00:39:02.960 honored that I got to sit here with you guys. 00:39:03.099 --> 00:39:04.840 You truly are making a difference in the world. 00:39:05.179 --> 00:39:10.059 You're incredibly selfless. So with that... I 00:39:10.059 --> 00:39:13.980 want to just give a proper outro here. Amelia 00:39:13.980 --> 00:39:16.760 Serio, Operation Walk year of medical assistant 00:39:16.760 --> 00:39:20.980 and medical assistant at SOS. Jim Murray, Operation 00:39:20.980 --> 00:39:22.840 Walk New York director and chief clinical officer 00:39:22.840 --> 00:39:26.420 at SOS. We've got Jim Colon, Operation Walk New 00:39:26.420 --> 00:39:29.639 York imaging and director of ancillary services 00:39:29.639 --> 00:39:33.099 at SOS. And next to me, of course, Vinny Marino. 00:39:33.559 --> 00:39:35.260 You are the physical therapist and physical therapy 00:39:35.260 --> 00:39:37.760 operations supervisor at SOS. Thank you guys 00:39:37.760 --> 00:39:42.119 so much for your time. And any last words? Yeah, 00:39:42.179 --> 00:39:44.519 come with us next time. Yeah, we need social 00:39:44.519 --> 00:39:46.920 media people. We actually do have a social media 00:39:46.920 --> 00:39:49.059 contingent on our team. You ask my team over 00:39:49.059 --> 00:39:52.719 there, I'm the last person. It will throw me 00:39:52.719 --> 00:39:55.239 out of the plane. Can you break ice? I can break 00:39:55.239 --> 00:39:59.579 ice. There you go. Can you post? That's all we 00:39:59.579 --> 00:40:02.679 need. Sign me up. What if we need to do surgery? 00:40:02.960 --> 00:40:04.880 No surgery. No surgery. You can watch, but you 00:40:04.880 --> 00:40:06.719 can't do it. That is another episode of Big News 00:40:06.719 --> 00:40:08.639 Show Friday. It's finally by Ed Dunlego again, 00:40:08.699 --> 00:40:12.940 EdDunlego .com. It's Cherokee Specialist Operation 00:40:12.940 --> 00:40:15.500 Walk New York. Amazing stuff. Amazing to be a 00:40:15.500 --> 00:40:19.219 part of. Welcome to Good News York. It is Mike 00:40:19.219 --> 00:40:21.639 Vrindisi with you, without Matt. He's really 00:40:21.639 --> 00:40:24.139 missing out because I am here. This is a very, 00:40:24.139 --> 00:40:27.449 very special interview. Executive Director of 00:40:27.449 --> 00:40:30.789 the Samaritan Center, Mary Beth Fry. Thank you 00:40:30.789 --> 00:40:33.550 for being here. You're amazing. I am not. Yes, 00:40:33.550 --> 00:40:39.690 you are. You know, coming here, we knew as a 00:40:39.690 --> 00:40:42.570 team where we were going. We were going to a 00:40:42.570 --> 00:40:45.650 place that would help underprivileged individuals 00:40:45.650 --> 00:40:49.150 with food and other things. But I'm learning 00:40:49.150 --> 00:40:52.630 so much more even when I walked in. You do much 00:40:52.630 --> 00:40:56.099 more than just feed the hungry. Tell us a little 00:40:56.099 --> 00:40:59.400 bit about yourself, your background and how the 00:40:59.400 --> 00:41:01.280 Samaritan Center came about and what it is you 00:41:01.280 --> 00:41:03.420 do. All right. So the Samaritan Center has been 00:41:03.420 --> 00:41:07.179 in this beautiful space for 10 years, but we've 00:41:07.179 --> 00:41:10.539 been around for over 44. We started as a brown 00:41:10.539 --> 00:41:13.260 bag lunch program in downtown Syracuse and then 00:41:13.260 --> 00:41:16.079 slowly built our capacity and our organization 00:41:16.079 --> 00:41:18.039 to be able to provide over one hundred and twenty 00:41:18.039 --> 00:41:20.340 thousand meals to folks struggling with hunger 00:41:20.340 --> 00:41:22.760 and poverty here in Syracuse and central New 00:41:22.760 --> 00:41:27.320 York. We do that with nine staff and 1 ,500 volunteers 00:41:27.320 --> 00:41:31.159 dedicated every month to making this place possible. 00:41:32.119 --> 00:41:34.099 We like to think of it as a community kitchen 00:41:34.099 --> 00:41:36.619 table, right? It's a place where if you think 00:41:36.619 --> 00:41:38.380 about your own kitchen table, it's where you 00:41:38.380 --> 00:41:41.599 come to take a breath, to share your struggles, 00:41:41.780 --> 00:41:44.340 to share your victories, to feel connected to 00:41:44.340 --> 00:41:46.900 something bigger, right? To be part of community. 00:41:47.039 --> 00:41:49.239 And that's what we try to create here. You know, 00:41:49.260 --> 00:41:53.699 when you hear about... food pantries and shelters. 00:41:54.139 --> 00:41:55.940 We all kind of have these preconceived notions 00:41:55.940 --> 00:41:59.079 about what it might look like. And I think it's 00:41:59.079 --> 00:42:01.519 important for everybody in this country and in 00:42:01.519 --> 00:42:03.599 the world to see what really goes on anyway. 00:42:04.179 --> 00:42:07.059 But when I walked in, I don't know what I was 00:42:07.059 --> 00:42:12.400 expecting, but it wasn't this. This is absolutely 00:42:12.400 --> 00:42:15.420 beautiful. And I feel like it's welcoming. You 00:42:15.420 --> 00:42:18.000 come in and you don't feel kind of like out of 00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:21.980 place. How does the the renovation of the church 00:42:21.980 --> 00:42:25.840 come about and and how long has it been as beautiful 00:42:25.840 --> 00:42:28.980 as it is? So this was actually the first cathedral 00:42:28.980 --> 00:42:31.239 of the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse So that's 00:42:31.239 --> 00:42:34.739 why it's so ornate and so beautiful We were fortunate 00:42:34.739 --> 00:42:36.559 enough to be able to purchase it outright ten 00:42:36.559 --> 00:42:40.360 years ago and did a capital campaign made, you 00:42:40.360 --> 00:42:43.539 know 1 .2 million dollars in renovations and 00:42:43.539 --> 00:42:45.699 Created this wonderful home for the folks that 00:42:45.699 --> 00:42:47.780 we serve and it does it feels it feels like a 00:42:47.780 --> 00:42:51.530 home now What I was pleasantly surprised to know 00:42:51.530 --> 00:42:54.429 is you're you're not just what I don't know if 00:42:54.429 --> 00:42:56.750 this is the proper term a soup kitchen of sorts 00:42:56.750 --> 00:42:59.630 You guys have a daily meal program. You've got 00:42:59.630 --> 00:43:02.010 case management and agency outreach. You've got 00:43:02.010 --> 00:43:04.269 basic needs distribution You have your my place 00:43:04.269 --> 00:43:06.630 program diaper distribution. I want to get into 00:43:06.630 --> 00:43:10.789 all of that But before we do how did you get 00:43:10.789 --> 00:43:14.269 involved with the Samaritan Center? So my background 00:43:14.269 --> 00:43:16.969 was in direct services within mental health went 00:43:16.969 --> 00:43:19.010 back to school to do some more administrative 00:43:19.010 --> 00:43:21.610 stuff. I worked at United Way for a long time 00:43:21.610 --> 00:43:24.349 doing granting and community investment, and 00:43:24.349 --> 00:43:26.329 that's where I became familiar with the Samaritan 00:43:26.329 --> 00:43:30.489 Center. For me personally, there was too much 00:43:30.489 --> 00:43:33.530 paperwork for me at United Way, and I came from 00:43:33.530 --> 00:43:35.909 a direct service place. So Samaritan Center is 00:43:35.909 --> 00:43:39.190 this beautiful mix for me of administration, 00:43:39.570 --> 00:43:43.469 program oversight, supervision, growth, and direct 00:43:43.469 --> 00:43:46.800 service. So every day I get to see The reason 00:43:46.800 --> 00:43:49.139 I do all the audits and budgets and all that 00:43:49.139 --> 00:43:51.920 boring stuff. Sure. Every day I see the impact 00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:54.179 of all that work and what we make possible here. 00:43:54.420 --> 00:43:58.079 It's amazing. The Daily Meal program. Let's start 00:43:58.079 --> 00:44:02.119 with that. Now, obviously, again, we knew coming 00:44:02.119 --> 00:44:04.500 here that that was kind of the main deal was 00:44:04.500 --> 00:44:09.119 to feed the the people that were were underprivileged. 00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:12.679 But this is a little different. This is three. 00:44:12.760 --> 00:44:15.369 It says three hundred and sixty five days. a 00:44:15.369 --> 00:44:18.389 year, no questions asked, you are serving food, 00:44:18.889 --> 00:44:21.690 nine staff, over 800 volunteers. Tell us a little 00:44:21.690 --> 00:44:24.730 bit about that. So I think what makes us different 00:44:24.730 --> 00:44:27.570 is that no questions asked philosophy, right? 00:44:27.570 --> 00:44:29.809 If you're hungry, you're welcome. And then we 00:44:29.809 --> 00:44:32.849 try to get to know people, right? As Mary Beth, 00:44:32.929 --> 00:44:36.210 as Amanda, it's easier, right, to ask difficult 00:44:36.210 --> 00:44:39.449 questions like, I've never been homeless before. 00:44:39.989 --> 00:44:42.889 What do I do? My son is schizophrenic and I don't 00:44:42.889 --> 00:44:45.469 know where to turn. My husband is beating me 00:44:45.469 --> 00:44:47.750 and I don't know what to do. You can ask those 00:44:47.750 --> 00:44:51.050 questions to Mary Beth more easily than you can 00:44:51.050 --> 00:44:52.889 to someone who's saying, what's your social security 00:44:52.889 --> 00:44:54.429 number? Where do you live? What's your income? 00:44:54.630 --> 00:44:57.369 Prove to me that you're hungry. Right. So this 00:44:57.369 --> 00:44:59.550 place is really about relationships and it's 00:44:59.550 --> 00:45:01.469 about community and it's about connecting on 00:45:01.469 --> 00:45:04.429 a basic human level so that we're all there together 00:45:04.429 --> 00:45:06.429 kind of walking through really difficult days 00:45:06.429 --> 00:45:08.269 and trying to support each other through that. 00:45:08.610 --> 00:45:13.510 Do you find yourself when during the daily meal 00:45:14.829 --> 00:45:18.230 Are we seeing you mingling, walking around, sitting 00:45:18.230 --> 00:45:21.909 with some of the people, or are you in the office? 00:45:22.250 --> 00:45:24.190 Are you back in the kitchen? What's it like for 00:45:24.190 --> 00:45:26.110 you during that time? My best days are when I'm 00:45:26.110 --> 00:45:28.010 out here during meal, right? Because that's where 00:45:28.010 --> 00:45:30.849 my joy is, right? That's what energizes me to 00:45:30.849 --> 00:45:34.530 do all the other stuff. So it's, yeah, best part 00:45:34.530 --> 00:45:36.329 of my day is when I get to talk with the folks 00:45:36.329 --> 00:45:39.789 that come here. Would you say a large percentage 00:45:39.789 --> 00:45:42.889 of the people that do come here are kind of... 00:45:42.570 --> 00:45:45.110 regulars, for lack of a better term, do you see 00:45:45.110 --> 00:45:48.289 a lot of repeat people that have been here a 00:45:48.289 --> 00:45:50.570 while? So what I would say is our population 00:45:50.570 --> 00:45:53.349 is really, if you look at law of thirds, right? 00:45:53.670 --> 00:45:55.909 The first third are folks that you might imagine 00:45:55.909 --> 00:45:57.969 when you think about a soup kitchen, right? There 00:45:57.969 --> 00:46:00.090 are folks you might see on the off ramps flying 00:46:00.090 --> 00:46:02.050 signs. There are folks that are in encampments 00:46:02.050 --> 00:46:04.309 under bridges. That's what people originally 00:46:04.309 --> 00:46:06.789 first think and imagine that's everyone that's 00:46:06.789 --> 00:46:09.579 here, right? Second, third are folks that are 00:46:09.579 --> 00:46:11.659 going through some sort of crisis, right? They 00:46:11.659 --> 00:46:14.320 may have had a car breakdown, and if they don't 00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:16.219 fix the car, they lose the job, then they lose 00:46:16.219 --> 00:46:18.579 the house. They may have a medical bill. They 00:46:18.579 --> 00:46:21.880 have to buy prescriptions. They may have a heating 00:46:21.880 --> 00:46:24.340 bill that gets extraordinarily high. They have 00:46:24.340 --> 00:46:27.179 to make these really difficult choices between 00:46:27.179 --> 00:46:30.800 food and heat, food and medicine. In that crisis 00:46:30.800 --> 00:46:33.940 period, they rely on us. So those folks we see 00:46:33.940 --> 00:46:36.019 for a very short period of time till they get 00:46:36.019 --> 00:46:39.139 through this crisis and they move on. The final 00:46:39.139 --> 00:46:42.059 third are folks that we see all the time. They're 00:46:42.059 --> 00:46:45.019 folks on fixed incomes whose resources are not 00:46:45.019 --> 00:46:48.000 going to grow, who in a competitive society, 00:46:48.000 --> 00:46:50.239 they have difficult time competing, right? They 00:46:50.239 --> 00:46:52.079 might be folks with disabilities. They might 00:46:52.079 --> 00:46:54.320 be folks with mental health issues. They might 00:46:54.320 --> 00:46:57.360 be vets with PTSD. They might be seniors on a 00:46:57.360 --> 00:47:00.139 fixed income. We become part of what makes their 00:47:00.139 --> 00:47:03.260 budget work. here is where they get their nutrition. 00:47:03.420 --> 00:47:05.199 And those folks we see over a very long period 00:47:05.199 --> 00:47:07.900 of time. I'm so glad you said that because, you 00:47:07.900 --> 00:47:10.139 know, especially with what's going on right now 00:47:10.139 --> 00:47:13.619 with the federal government and the SNAP benefits 00:47:13.619 --> 00:47:16.360 program, you know, I'm seeing on social media 00:47:16.360 --> 00:47:19.940 a lot, there really is a misconception about 00:47:19.940 --> 00:47:24.519 not only what it is that you do, but the people... 00:47:24.320 --> 00:47:27.380 that are in need. It's not just people who don't 00:47:27.380 --> 00:47:30.980 have shelter. There are people who are working 00:47:30.980 --> 00:47:34.099 40 hours a week and still can't afford, like 00:47:34.099 --> 00:47:35.900 you said, making those difficult decisions. They're 00:47:35.900 --> 00:47:38.079 living paycheck to paycheck. Those people are 00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:43.280 just as much in need or in need as well, just 00:47:43.280 --> 00:47:45.519 as much as the people that don't have shelter 00:47:45.519 --> 00:47:48.559 as well. And I think that's an important thing 00:47:48.559 --> 00:47:52.079 to highlight that this is to help everybody. 00:47:52.199 --> 00:47:55.440 Yeah, and I think there's systemic issues, right? 00:47:55.599 --> 00:47:59.260 I mean, there's minimum wage is not living wage, 00:47:59.400 --> 00:48:02.440 right? If you think about the cost to rent an 00:48:02.440 --> 00:48:05.320 apartment in the city of Syracuse, it's outrageous. 00:48:06.440 --> 00:48:08.599 People don't have those sorts of resources, so 00:48:08.599 --> 00:48:11.920 they're stretched to the very end. Utilities 00:48:11.920 --> 00:48:15.500 have taken major jumps every single year and 00:48:15.500 --> 00:48:17.639 are looking for another one to come in January. 00:48:18.039 --> 00:48:21.079 HEAP has closed down. HEAP, which is an emergency 00:48:21.079 --> 00:48:23.400 heating assistance program federally, has also 00:48:23.400 --> 00:48:25.659 shut down and not been funded. So people are 00:48:25.659 --> 00:48:27.940 very concerned and very worried about what this 00:48:27.940 --> 00:48:30.179 winter will mean for them. There are families 00:48:30.179 --> 00:48:32.659 that rely on these supplemental funds to be able 00:48:32.659 --> 00:48:35.980 to feed their kids. And we know that the trick 00:48:35.980 --> 00:48:39.059 to good development is solid nutrition. How do 00:48:39.059 --> 00:48:41.039 you focus in school as a kid if your stomach 00:48:41.039 --> 00:48:44.130 isn't full? How do you do anything? as an adult 00:48:44.130 --> 00:48:46.409 or as a child when you're you know you're absolutely 00:48:46.409 --> 00:48:48.530 right and and another thing that i've learned 00:48:48.530 --> 00:48:51.250 along the way is that people don't think outside 00:48:51.250 --> 00:48:55.369 of the box such as you know okay so some some 00:48:55.369 --> 00:48:59.670 food is provided for people in need but the the 00:48:59.670 --> 00:49:01.929 the healthy stuff that's out there the stuff 00:49:01.929 --> 00:49:04.070 the nutrition that you're talking about are sometimes 00:49:04.070 --> 00:49:10.210 more expensive and harder to access. And if you 00:49:10.210 --> 00:49:13.010 think about food deserts, it's a popular term, 00:49:13.050 --> 00:49:15.849 but basically it means access. Not having access 00:49:15.849 --> 00:49:18.230 to grocery stores, to places where you can find 00:49:18.230 --> 00:49:20.869 affordable food. We talk a lot about you can 00:49:20.869 --> 00:49:24.010 get lottery programs in every corner bodega, 00:49:24.070 --> 00:49:27.130 but you can't get ahead of broccoli. So where 00:49:27.130 --> 00:49:29.809 is it that people are supposed to find healthy 00:49:29.809 --> 00:49:33.860 food? They can't. And the cheap stuff... is poor 00:49:33.860 --> 00:49:36.340 nutrition, high density calories. Exactly what 00:49:36.340 --> 00:49:41.219 I meant. And, you know, it's so important. And 00:49:41.219 --> 00:49:43.639 with what is going on with the federal government, 00:49:43.659 --> 00:49:45.280 and this isn't political, this is just reality 00:49:45.280 --> 00:49:48.159 of what's going on. Can you talk about a little 00:49:48.159 --> 00:49:50.519 bit of the direct impact it's had on this American 00:49:50.519 --> 00:49:54.199 center and the people that come here? So we've 00:49:54.199 --> 00:49:56.960 seen an increase of probably 50 people a day 00:49:56.960 --> 00:50:00.730 that are new to this program. Typically, if you 00:50:00.730 --> 00:50:03.190 think about our cycle of service, right, in the 00:50:03.190 --> 00:50:04.750 beginning of the month, we have a little bit 00:50:04.750 --> 00:50:07.210 of a slowdown because people typically get their 00:50:07.210 --> 00:50:09.949 SNAP benefits. They get their resources. So it 00:50:09.949 --> 00:50:11.889 gets a little quieter. We have not seen that 00:50:11.889 --> 00:50:15.070 in November. So we're doing 600 meals a day between 00:50:15.070 --> 00:50:17.210 breakfast and lunch, which would have been more 00:50:17.210 --> 00:50:19.789 typically an end of the month experience. So 00:50:19.789 --> 00:50:22.230 people are more and more relying on pantries, 00:50:22.349 --> 00:50:25.170 our local nonprofit organizations and places 00:50:25.170 --> 00:50:27.309 like the Samaritan Center just to make sure they're 00:50:27.309 --> 00:50:30.639 able to eat. In addition to the Daily Meal program, 00:50:31.400 --> 00:50:32.880 I love getting into the rest of the things that 00:50:32.880 --> 00:50:36.059 you do because it's so unique and so important. 00:50:36.400 --> 00:50:39.039 You also do case management and agency outreach, 00:50:39.559 --> 00:50:43.260 which is, you know, helping with unemployment, 00:50:43.579 --> 00:50:46.179 underemployment, housing issues, benefits, legal 00:50:46.179 --> 00:50:48.440 services, health care, the things that... we 00:50:48.440 --> 00:50:50.480 take for granted. Talk a little bit about that 00:50:50.480 --> 00:50:53.719 program. So if you think about the reason someone 00:50:53.719 --> 00:50:55.780 might come to someplace like the Samaritan Center, 00:50:56.239 --> 00:50:59.380 the variables are really complex and really varied, 00:50:59.579 --> 00:51:01.559 right? They might be literacy issues, they might 00:51:01.559 --> 00:51:03.960 be mental health issues, might be substance misuse, 00:51:04.099 --> 00:51:06.440 they might be a legal issue. any of those things 00:51:06.440 --> 00:51:08.940 can impact somebody's resources and their ability 00:51:08.940 --> 00:51:12.420 to provide for themselves. What we do is have 00:51:12.420 --> 00:51:15.119 case managers on site to hook people into the 00:51:15.119 --> 00:51:17.699 resources that help address those problems with 00:51:17.699 --> 00:51:19.840 the idea that we can help move people towards 00:51:19.840 --> 00:51:22.380 self sufficiency. They don't rely on a place 00:51:22.380 --> 00:51:24.780 like this, but they become more focused on a 00:51:24.780 --> 00:51:26.659 more positive future and able to move towards 00:51:26.659 --> 00:51:29.320 their own goals. I love that because it's almost 00:51:29.320 --> 00:51:31.719 like. You know, you could look at the soup kitchen 00:51:31.719 --> 00:51:33.539 as, OK, we're addressing the immediate issue. 00:51:33.579 --> 00:51:35.260 That's the bandaid. You're hungry. We'll feed 00:51:35.260 --> 00:51:38.480 you. You're addressing the long term issue, which 00:51:38.480 --> 00:51:44.400 is. basic needs and the transition into a new 00:51:44.400 --> 00:51:47.699 place, which brings me to your My Place program, 00:51:48.159 --> 00:51:50.300 which is outstanding. Talk about that as well. 00:51:50.420 --> 00:51:53.159 So My Place came about because we had a Jesuit 00:51:53.159 --> 00:51:55.059 volunteer here. It was kind of like a Peace Corps 00:51:55.059 --> 00:51:57.659 volunteer for a year. And she was working with 00:51:57.659 --> 00:52:00.320 an individual who had just gotten a new apartment. 00:52:00.739 --> 00:52:03.460 And he came to us so proud. He had his brass 00:52:03.460 --> 00:52:05.780 key. And then he said, but I don't have anything 00:52:05.780 --> 00:52:09.110 in there. It was four empty walls and what should 00:52:09.110 --> 00:52:13.010 have been this beautiful moment of positive transition 00:52:13.010 --> 00:52:15.889 became very lonely for him because he was going 00:52:15.889 --> 00:52:17.769 to a place that he could lock the door but there 00:52:17.769 --> 00:52:20.150 was nothing there to make it a home. So this 00:52:20.150 --> 00:52:22.590 individual started our My Place program where 00:52:22.590 --> 00:52:25.489 we provide basic essentials. If you think about 00:52:25.489 --> 00:52:28.230 a kid going to college, it's sheets and blankets 00:52:28.230 --> 00:52:30.929 and dishes and silverware and a coffee pot and 00:52:30.929 --> 00:52:33.210 a little bit of art if we're lucky. And we'll 00:52:33.210 --> 00:52:35.489 put in resources like, here's the pantry that's 00:52:35.489 --> 00:52:37.650 near you. Here's the library that's in your neighborhood. 00:52:37.989 --> 00:52:40.090 So that people start to feel part of a larger 00:52:40.090 --> 00:52:42.869 community and they go into this space with a 00:52:42.869 --> 00:52:45.449 box of community that says we're with you and 00:52:45.449 --> 00:52:48.230 we support you. And this is wonderful. And you 00:52:48.230 --> 00:52:50.730 go forth. That is wildly impressive that you 00:52:50.730 --> 00:52:53.469 are able to do that. Again, thinking outside 00:52:53.469 --> 00:52:55.789 of the box. We're not going to find you a place. 00:52:56.369 --> 00:52:58.309 We're not only going to find you a place to live, 00:52:58.329 --> 00:52:59.949 we're going to we're going to help give you the 00:52:59.949 --> 00:53:03.630 basic things that you need to. to live. And start 00:53:03.630 --> 00:53:06.489 to make it a home. Yeah. Yeah. Everybody needs 00:53:06.489 --> 00:53:10.469 that. Everybody. And in addition, you're also 00:53:10.469 --> 00:53:13.030 the basic needs distribution. And this is kind 00:53:13.030 --> 00:53:15.170 of along the same lines. Again, thinking outside 00:53:15.170 --> 00:53:17.489 of the box. We're hungry. We're going to feed 00:53:17.489 --> 00:53:20.449 you. But hey, oh, I don't have deodorant. I don't 00:53:20.449 --> 00:53:24.780 have. Talk about that. Once a month you do the 00:53:24.780 --> 00:53:28.280 Basic Needs Closet. Twice a week it's the Basic 00:53:28.280 --> 00:53:31.179 Needs Closet. It's the idea of the dignity of 00:53:31.179 --> 00:53:37.300 self -care. If you can wash your hair, if you 00:53:37.300 --> 00:53:40.500 can take a shower, if you have the basic things 00:53:40.500 --> 00:53:43.480 to feel good about yourself, that changes your 00:53:43.480 --> 00:53:45.699 entire attitude and your ability to then go out 00:53:45.699 --> 00:53:47.699 into the world. We have a lot of folks that go 00:53:47.699 --> 00:53:50.349 to interviews that need a razor. and need a little 00:53:50.349 --> 00:53:53.289 shaving cream to clean up, right? That's pivotal 00:53:53.289 --> 00:53:56.989 to their success. It feels small, but it's really 00:53:56.989 --> 00:53:59.449 huge. And I think that's the message of this 00:53:59.449 --> 00:54:02.090 place, right? It doesn't take $8 million. It 00:54:02.090 --> 00:54:04.829 doesn't take 50 hours of volunteer work. Every 00:54:04.829 --> 00:54:07.190 little bit that people do, people collect socks, 00:54:07.409 --> 00:54:10.090 people collect toilet paper for us. One roll 00:54:10.090 --> 00:54:12.630 of toilet paper can change someone's day. Of 00:54:12.630 --> 00:54:16.130 course. Right? And it's those things that connecting 00:54:16.130 --> 00:54:19.409 on a human level and providing basic stuff changes 00:54:19.409 --> 00:54:22.230 the trajectory of the day. In addition to all 00:54:22.230 --> 00:54:23.989 these amazing programs, there's one more I want 00:54:23.989 --> 00:54:26.110 to talk about. It's your diaper distribution 00:54:26.110 --> 00:54:30.750 program. We all know that child care, child care 00:54:30.750 --> 00:54:33.289 in general is something that is hard to afford 00:54:33.289 --> 00:54:36.349 for anybody, but outside of child care. some 00:54:36.349 --> 00:54:38.309 of the basic needs like formula, diapers, things 00:54:38.309 --> 00:54:40.969 like that, and you guys are able to provide that 00:54:40.969 --> 00:54:43.329 as well. So once a month we partner with the 00:54:43.329 --> 00:54:46.690 CNY Diaper Bank to distribute diapers to over 00:54:46.690 --> 00:54:51.139 100 children. 95 -some families to be able to 00:54:51.139 --> 00:54:54.480 give them not a full month's supply, but a little 00:54:54.480 --> 00:54:56.599 helping hand in terms of the supplies that they 00:54:56.599 --> 00:54:58.739 need to care for their children. What we know 00:54:58.739 --> 00:55:01.019 is that's another difficult choice that families 00:55:01.019 --> 00:55:04.420 are making. There's research about families reusing 00:55:04.420 --> 00:55:06.719 diapers, trying to wash them out and reuse them. 00:55:06.760 --> 00:55:09.079 And the anxiety that creates, the health issues 00:55:09.079 --> 00:55:12.820 that creates is unreal. So this simple, simple 00:55:12.820 --> 00:55:16.360 resource allows moms to feel good about taking 00:55:16.360 --> 00:55:18.760 care of their kids. that makes kids feel wonderful, 00:55:18.840 --> 00:55:20.519 right? Because they're more comfortable. And 00:55:20.519 --> 00:55:22.480 then we help connect them into other supports 00:55:22.480 --> 00:55:25.579 they might need, like healthy families and imagination 00:55:25.579 --> 00:55:27.539 library and all these other things that help 00:55:27.539 --> 00:55:30.840 a family thrive. You know, I never understood 00:55:30.840 --> 00:55:34.599 how it became politicized that basic needs should 00:55:34.599 --> 00:55:37.599 not be a luxury. It should be a right, you know? 00:55:37.880 --> 00:55:42.539 And I've always believed that. Have you seen, 00:55:42.659 --> 00:55:45.900 have you experienced kind of any great redemption 00:55:45.900 --> 00:55:48.280 stories where you saw someone come here, kind 00:55:48.280 --> 00:55:50.780 of down on their luck, going through a lot and 00:55:50.780 --> 00:55:53.219 through your program, made it out to the other 00:55:53.219 --> 00:55:56.119 side and succeeding today. There's a lot of those 00:55:56.119 --> 00:55:57.920 folks. It's pretty impressive. We have a few 00:55:57.920 --> 00:56:00.340 people now that are working. We got them hooked 00:56:00.340 --> 00:56:03.699 in with a manufacturing training program through 00:56:03.699 --> 00:56:07.010 McNe. Right. So we know that kind of. in this 00:56:07.010 --> 00:56:09.929 community, many communities, manufacturing workers, 00:56:09.929 --> 00:56:12.610 right, are difficult to come by. So this is a 00:56:12.610 --> 00:56:14.710 particular program that was designed to reach 00:56:14.710 --> 00:56:18.050 out to typically untapped and underserved populations 00:56:18.050 --> 00:56:20.530 to help them access employment opportunities. 00:56:20.869 --> 00:56:22.849 So we've been able to get a number of our folks 00:56:22.849 --> 00:56:25.130 into this training program where they're enrolled 00:56:25.130 --> 00:56:28.070 at OCC. They're going to get clothing to be able 00:56:28.070 --> 00:56:29.869 to make that next transition. They're getting 00:56:29.869 --> 00:56:32.230 the training and then they're guaranteed interviews 00:56:32.230 --> 00:56:35.110 at the end of the program to try to hook them 00:56:35.110 --> 00:56:39.199 into program. So that then, right, ripples out. 00:56:39.219 --> 00:56:41.159 So you have income, then you get shelter, and 00:56:41.159 --> 00:56:43.500 then you have self -esteem, and then you're doing 00:56:43.500 --> 00:56:46.199 all the things that make us, you know, every 00:56:46.199 --> 00:56:49.079 day feel kind of normal, right? These are miracle 00:56:49.079 --> 00:56:51.300 things for our folks. I don't know if there's 00:56:51.300 --> 00:56:53.219 a God, but if there is, you're doing God's work, 00:56:53.380 --> 00:56:55.639 Mary Beth. It's absolutely amazing. Few more 00:56:55.639 --> 00:57:00.460 questions. Now, it's astounding how many volunteers 00:57:00.460 --> 00:57:04.340 you have a month. Over 800, if not more. Did 00:57:04.340 --> 00:57:07.800 you have you seen a change in? Did you have to 00:57:07.800 --> 00:57:10.190 come from a place of like? really trying to actively 00:57:10.190 --> 00:57:12.570 find volunteers and now it's to a point where 00:57:12.570 --> 00:57:16.449 you're just blessed with an influx or how does 00:57:16.449 --> 00:57:18.969 how's that been for you finding volunteers? We 00:57:18.969 --> 00:57:21.250 are always in need of volunteers so it takes 00:57:21.250 --> 00:57:24.590 between 15 and 20 volunteers every meal and then 00:57:24.590 --> 00:57:27.130 another 10 to 15 to help prep all those things 00:57:27.130 --> 00:57:29.050 so we are always looking for people that are 00:57:29.050 --> 00:57:31.610 interested spending a couple hours down here. 00:57:32.170 --> 00:57:35.289 I will say this community is incredibly generous 00:57:35.289 --> 00:57:38.099 and incredibly supportive and incredibly kind. 00:57:38.239 --> 00:57:40.079 So we've been fortunate, especially with the 00:57:40.079 --> 00:57:42.059 current environment, to have a lot of people 00:57:42.059 --> 00:57:44.219 reaching out to say, how can I help? Whether 00:57:44.219 --> 00:57:46.000 it's a food drive, whether it's volunteering, 00:57:46.139 --> 00:57:48.699 whether it's donating funds, this is an incredible 00:57:48.699 --> 00:57:52.079 community that rises when there's challenges 00:57:52.079 --> 00:57:55.739 like this. The way it should be. If somebody 00:57:55.739 --> 00:58:00.800 is in need of any of these things, how can they... 00:58:00.800 --> 00:58:03.699 reach out or what's the best course of action 00:58:03.699 --> 00:58:07.519 to come to the Samaritan Center and get the help 00:58:07.519 --> 00:58:10.019 they need? To get help, you just walk through 00:58:10.019 --> 00:58:11.840 the door when we're open. So we do breakfast 00:58:11.840 --> 00:58:14.760 Monday through Friday, 630 to 830, and then an 00:58:14.760 --> 00:58:17.280 afternoon meal seven days a week, one to 230. 00:58:17.760 --> 00:58:20.519 So you are absolutely welcome to come get a meal, 00:58:20.860 --> 00:58:22.639 share a kitchen table with us, and we'll get 00:58:22.639 --> 00:58:24.880 to know you and see how we can help. Outside 00:58:24.880 --> 00:58:27.360 of that, I guess I'd say that an amazing resource 00:58:27.360 --> 00:58:30.719 here in Onondaga County is 211. So folks are 00:58:30.719 --> 00:58:32.840 in need of really any resource that they need 00:58:32.840 --> 00:58:35.059 to help support them in their life journey. If 00:58:35.059 --> 00:58:37.340 you call 211, there's professionals ready to 00:58:37.340 --> 00:58:39.159 answer and try to connect people to what it is 00:58:39.159 --> 00:58:42.460 that they need. Amazing. And we know Thanksgiving's 00:58:42.460 --> 00:58:47.780 coming up. I'm sure that's kind of a big deal 00:58:47.780 --> 00:58:50.460 for this American Center and for the community. 00:58:50.889 --> 00:58:53.829 Do you do anything different on the holidays 00:58:53.829 --> 00:58:57.170 that you don't do 364 other days of the year? 00:58:57.329 --> 00:58:59.369 I think we cook a lot of food on Thanksgiving. 00:59:00.090 --> 00:59:03.030 I bet. Like everybody's holiday, right? Thanksgiving 00:59:03.030 --> 00:59:05.250 is a lot about food. So we start almost a week 00:59:05.250 --> 00:59:07.730 ahead roasting turkeys and getting everything 00:59:07.730 --> 00:59:10.010 ready and baking pies and all that kind of stuff. 00:59:10.110 --> 00:59:13.210 But I guess I would say not that a holiday is 00:59:13.210 --> 00:59:15.849 like every other day, but every day here is about 00:59:15.849 --> 00:59:19.090 love and acceptance and respect and just making 00:59:19.090 --> 00:59:22.349 sure people feel. Feel a presence here. I love 00:59:22.349 --> 00:59:25.769 that What do you hope for for the Samaritan Center 00:59:25.769 --> 00:59:28.829 in the next coming weeks months years? And do 00:59:28.829 --> 00:59:32.329 you have anything? kind of lined up along the 00:59:32.329 --> 00:59:34.800 way I think right now we're trying to manage 00:59:34.800 --> 00:59:36.860 the environment, right? Right now it's really 00:59:36.860 --> 00:59:39.760 shifting and changing underneath our feet. So 00:59:39.760 --> 00:59:41.239 we're trying to make sure that we're stocking 00:59:41.239 --> 00:59:43.659 in the food we need as numbers increase, that 00:59:43.659 --> 00:59:46.079 we're recruiting volunteers to help us support 00:59:46.079 --> 00:59:48.920 that increase in folks. Kind of longer term, 00:59:49.199 --> 00:59:52.139 we're looking at the possibility of mobile outreach 00:59:52.139 --> 00:59:54.579 for our meals. So are we able to take food into 00:59:54.579 --> 00:59:57.699 the communities that need that? This case management 00:59:57.699 --> 01:00:00.039 program, we just... launched a new expansion. 01:00:00.139 --> 01:00:02.579 So we got new offices, two new staff to help 01:00:02.579 --> 01:00:05.179 address all those other issues in a much more 01:00:05.179 --> 01:00:06.820 in -depth way. So there's a lot of things kind 01:00:06.820 --> 01:00:09.820 of piling on and rippling forward for this organization. 01:00:09.820 --> 01:00:12.960 But I think my goal is always to create this 01:00:12.960 --> 01:00:15.619 place of sanctuary, right? Which is kind of funny 01:00:15.619 --> 01:00:17.860 because you're in a sanctuary, right? But this 01:00:17.860 --> 01:00:20.539 is a place where people can take a breath and 01:00:20.539 --> 01:00:22.559 think about what their next step is and then 01:00:22.559 --> 01:00:25.340 have the support around it. So with all the great 01:00:25.340 --> 01:00:27.199 schemes we might have, right, we want to stay 01:00:27.199 --> 01:00:29.650 grounded. and what it is that our guests need 01:00:29.650 --> 01:00:31.710 and where we came from and how we connect as 01:00:31.710 --> 01:00:35.210 humans. Wonderful. Last question. I think there's 01:00:35.210 --> 01:00:37.369 a lot of we talked about this. There's a lot 01:00:37.369 --> 01:00:41.170 of misconceptions with what it is that you do. 01:00:41.610 --> 01:00:43.289 And, you know, there might be some people out 01:00:43.289 --> 01:00:46.369 there who are in need, whether it be big or small, 01:00:46.849 --> 01:00:49.289 that might be even hesitant to reach out because 01:00:49.289 --> 01:00:52.789 maybe they're nervous or maybe they feel like 01:00:52.789 --> 01:00:55.730 because, you know, there is that window of, well, 01:00:55.730 --> 01:00:58.579 I make too much to get help. but I'm not making 01:00:58.579 --> 01:01:01.280 enough to live. And so you live in that window. 01:01:01.780 --> 01:01:04.400 What are some misconceptions that that you might 01:01:04.400 --> 01:01:08.340 want to tell the people out there that that that 01:01:08.340 --> 01:01:11.980 you could shed light on? I think there's a couple 01:01:11.980 --> 01:01:15.599 of things, right? I think if we can set aside 01:01:15.599 --> 01:01:18.059 any judgment or preconceived ideas that we have 01:01:18.059 --> 01:01:21.480 and just see each other as humans, right? Walking 01:01:21.480 --> 01:01:24.179 a difficult world, right? The world can be really 01:01:24.179 --> 01:01:27.130 challenging and really hard for any of us. everybody 01:01:27.130 --> 01:01:30.730 deserves the opportunity to be seen, to be loved 01:01:30.730 --> 01:01:34.409 up, and to be heard and respected, right? So 01:01:34.409 --> 01:01:36.909 if we can just start from that place, a lot of 01:01:36.909 --> 01:01:40.989 the other stuff gets easier. But I think I would 01:01:40.989 --> 01:01:44.590 say come down here and see the folks that come 01:01:44.590 --> 01:01:46.889 here to serve, see the folks that come here to 01:01:46.889 --> 01:01:49.280 seek assistance. And I think... What we find 01:01:49.280 --> 01:01:51.840 is the line between needing help and being able 01:01:51.840 --> 01:01:55.159 to provide help is razor razor thin. And it can 01:01:55.159 --> 01:01:58.679 be absolutely any of us that the world takes 01:01:58.679 --> 01:02:00.900 us on a left turn and suddenly we're in a position 01:02:00.900 --> 01:02:03.360 of needing help. So if we're fortunate enough 01:02:03.360 --> 01:02:07.119 to be able to help, let's do that. I love it. 01:02:07.460 --> 01:02:11.380 Marybeth, where can people go to if they are 01:02:11.380 --> 01:02:14.960 in need to get a hold of you, to look things 01:02:14.960 --> 01:02:17.840 up? basically any of the plugs, and where can 01:02:17.840 --> 01:02:21.420 people go if they want to volunteer? Our website 01:02:21.420 --> 01:02:25.280 is samcenter .org. You can do a volunteer application 01:02:25.280 --> 01:02:27.440 right online and process it digitally. We'll 01:02:27.440 --> 01:02:29.079 get you on an app and it'll be super easy to 01:02:29.079 --> 01:02:32.099 get yourself scheduled. If you need help, again 01:02:32.099 --> 01:02:35.539 I'd say come down during meal time and access 01:02:35.539 --> 01:02:38.079 the services that have here. look for a staff 01:02:38.079 --> 01:02:40.179 person we'll be looking for you as a new face 01:02:40.179 --> 01:02:43.099 and try to make as comfortable as possible and 01:02:43.099 --> 01:02:45.780 see what we can do from there. And there's donate 01:02:45.780 --> 01:02:48.360 buttons and there's organizations throughout 01:02:48.360 --> 01:02:50.460 this community that are doing great work now 01:02:50.460 --> 01:02:52.920 and every day. What I would say is if you have 01:02:52.920 --> 01:02:54.840 an hour, if you have a dollar, if you have a 01:02:54.840 --> 01:02:57.099 pair of socks, there's somebody that can benefit 01:02:57.099 --> 01:02:59.500 from that. So that tiny little bit makes a huge 01:02:59.500 --> 01:03:02.960 difference. Marybeth Frye, you are amazing. You 01:03:02.960 --> 01:03:05.219 are the executive director of the Samaritan Center. 01:03:05.639 --> 01:03:07.679 I can't thank you enough for your time. I'm honored 01:03:07.679 --> 01:03:11.340 to be interviewing someone so selfless and who 01:03:11.340 --> 01:03:14.260 does so much for the community. Any last words 01:03:14.260 --> 01:03:17.860 or plugs or anything you want to say? Come down 01:03:17.860 --> 01:03:19.619 and experience the Samaritan Center. You'll enjoy 01:03:19.619 --> 01:03:23.139 it. There it is. Marybeth Frye, executive director, 01:03:23.280 --> 01:03:25.519 Samaritan Center. Thank you so much. Thank you. 01:03:25.699 --> 01:03:27.699 And with that, it's good news. You are sponsored 01:03:27.699 --> 01:03:29.539 by ads on the go. Get ads on the go dot com.