The NAFC and Direct Relief Establish $300,000 Awards Program for Free and Charitable Health Clinics

Free and Charitable Clinics care for the lowest-income Americans – people who often lack insurance, are underinsured or have limited or no other access to health care. These clinics receive little or no government funding, rely heavily on volunteer medical staff, and provide service for free or in some cases for voluntary donations.

"Free and Charitable Clinics play a crucial and often unheralded role in America's healthcare safety net, providing quality, preventive, and primary care for people who would otherwise lack access," said Thomas Tighe, president and CEO of Direct Relief. "Direct Relief is delighted to build upon our longstanding partnership with the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics and expand our efforts to mobilize philanthropic resources keenly needed by those serving people most in need across our country."

The new initiative, funded by Direct Relief, will offer awards totaling $100,000 per year for three years. The NAFC and Direct Relief will work together to design the program for the highest possible impact in this crucial piece of America's health safety net.

"Direct Relief is a true partner in health dedicated to supporting the NAFC's mission of ensuring that the medically underserved have access to quality health care," said Nicole Lamoureux, CEO of the NAFC.  "Through our partnership and the addition of this new program, Direct Relief proves yet again to be a thought leader recognizing the continued need for Free and Charitable Clinics and their services to the underserved."

Over the past eleven years, Direct Relief has worked closely with the NAFC, mobilizing philanthropic support in the form of essential medications and medical supplies as well as financial assistance for hundreds of Free and Charitable Clinics across the country and the patients they serve.

About The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
The NAFC is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the medically underserved throughout the nation and the more than 1,200 Free and Charitable Clinics that serve them. Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality health care and strives to be a national voice promoting quality health care for all.  The organization believes that access to health care should be a right, not a privilege, and it values volunteerism, community ownership, service and collaboration.  For more information about the NAFC, please visit www.nafcclinics.org. Follow the NAFC on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NAFClinics and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NAFCClinics.

About Direct Relief
Established in 1948 with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources throughout the world -- without regard to politics, religion, ethnic identities, or ability to pay. With operations spanning more than 70 countries and all 50 states in the U.S., Direct Relief is the only charitable nonprofit to obtain Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD) © accreditation by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Among other distinctions, Direct Relief earns a perfect score of 100 from independent evaluator Charity Navigator, was listed among the world's most innovative nonprofits by Fast Company, and has received the CECP Directors' Award, the Drucker Prize for Nonprofit Innovation, and the President's Award from Esri for excellence in GIS mapping. For more information, please visit http://www.DirectRelief.org.

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SOURCE Direct Relief

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