Volunteer Program Benefits Rescue Mission in Lancaster
Lancaster, PA - In 1831, Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy, an organization that cares for the poor and sick. Today, in a continuing effort to live that mission, AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan associates have started volunteering at the Water Street Rescue Mission in Lancaster. Robert Cooper, Donna Lambert, Marily Rivera, Stephen Schlager, and Scott Stroman, have been volunteering for 12 hours each month for the past four months, working on various projects including sorting clothes and working in the warehouse.
The Water Street Rescue Mission, which serves the homeless, inner city youth, and needy families, offers a variety of services including food services, men’s, women’s and youth ministries, a Career and Life Learning Center, a medical clinic, community ministries, an emergency shelter and thrift stores.
This volunteer effort really brings to life AmeriHealth Mercy’s mission, which is to show compassion and respect to members of the plan, while also displaying a special concern to the poor and disadvantaged in the community.
“This [volunteering program] was actually born out of an idea from provider contracting,” commented Stephen Schlager, Director of Provider and Community Affairs. “Providers didn’t understand AmeriHealth Mercy’s mission and what we did differently than other health plans. We wanted to do something that showed how special AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan truly is.”
Because of the success of the initial volunteer project, the associates are now branching out and offering a health education program to the people at the Mission during the month of July. AmeriHealth Mercy seeks to ensure that health care and education are provided to those who need it.
“It’s difficult sometimes because everyone involved has such busy schedules,” says Schlager, “but at the end of the day, we all know that taking time out of our day to help others less fortunate than us is worth it.”
Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with its corporate office in Philadelphia, AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan is a Medical Assistance managed care plan currently serving more than 73,000 Medical Assistance recipients in the ten-county Lehigh/Capital area of Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Northampton, Perry, and York Counties. AmeriHealth Mercy also serves in Carbon, Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties
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