…living in all those who serve in his name. A local story about a relatively new free medical clinic in Garrett, about 20 miles north of Fort Wayne:

The waiting room to St. Martin’s Clinic was crowded Monday morning, but Francine Winters didn’t mind the wait.

“This place has been a godsend,” Winters said, looking around the room with its alternating rows of bright blue and red vinyl chairs.

Winters has been coming to St. Martin’s, which serves uninsured DeKalb County residents, since her husband had a quadruple bypass and then lost his job and his insurance. Neither one could afford medications, she said.

Her sister likely owes her life to the clinic, where she came with a pain in her side and was diagnosed with an appendix on the verge of bursting, Winters said. She probably wouldn’t have gone to the doctor otherwise.

The clinic was formed as a service project of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Garrett, which also runs a soup kitchen and clothing ministry. St. Martin’s doesn’t follow income guidelines, but patients are required to show proof that they live in DeKalb County.

Its services have proven so popular less than two years after opening its doors that the clinic is now applying to become its own non-profit organization, director Tammy Stafford said.

Stafford, a nurse, is the clinic’s only paid employee. The clinic is staffed by volunteers – usually eight to 10 per shift, she said.

Becoming a non-profit might help St. Martin’s secure more money, but the move won’t take it away from its Catholic roots, Stafford said.

“That was the goal for us and the bishop, to make sure the clinic is around 25 or 30 years from now,” she said.

The clinic adds dental care this year.