AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — For almost a decade now, Heal The City has been serving the city of Amarillo and providing free quality medical care to the uninsured of our community.

The idea of Heal The City started after Dr. Alan Keister saw the need in Amarillo for a clinic after returning from doing mission trips in Central America.

“He realized that in his hometown there was just as big of a need for patients that had no access to health care, so he did some school screenings throughout the community and found out right here in the San Jacinto neighborhood, there was a huge need. We had 500 to 600 people show up in a few hours,” said the Executive Director of Heal The City Chelsea Stevens.

Stevens said that they have grown from just providing once a week Monday night clinics to now providing clinics every day of the week

“You know COVID did some really awful things, but in the silver lining and in god’s blessing, he allowed us a break to really reevaluate ourselves as an entity and if we are going to say we are going to do things dignified for patients, I have never only been sick on a Monday, I have never only been sick on a Sunday night. So we decided we could be an all-day or all-week clinic,” said Heal The City Clinical Director Rachel Scott.

Stevens said they have 671 patients to date that call Heal The City their medical home and Heal The City has found that 20% or so of Amarillo does not have health insurance.

A new addition to Heal The City is its F.I.T. Center, which includes an education room and gym.

“If we can’t get those in and get people moving and bringing a community in, then we are never going to make any changes and that’s who we are. We want to make changes for generations and if we can educate them, we know they will be more successful,” said Scott.

Those who come to Heal The City for care are required to participate in the F.I.T. Center programs.

Stevens and Scott said Heal The City is always looking for volunteers and said it takes everyone to make Heal The City work.

If you would like to volunteer, you can contact Heal The City here.