They say you can’t pour from an empty cup. You can only work so long before you need to take time to recharge and fill your cup again. Most do that by unplugging and taking time to rest and relax. But there is another type of person who recharges through the act of giving to others. These people seek out ways to lift others up, and the joy they bring through their efforts is what brings them back year after year.
This is most certainly the case for the group behind Team Tampa Bay Missions, a small non-profit focused on providing medical care and education to underserved communities through annual medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic. Led by Co-Presidents Sarah Mahon and Fran Kade, who met as nurses at All Children’s Hospital, they’ve created a special community of people called to help those with the greatest need. The trips started as a project of another worker at the hospital who recruited the nurses to help. “We immediately felt at home there. The people we get to serve are so grateful for just our presence and not what we can give,” shared Mahon.
Eventually, the planning of the trips was passed on to Sarah and Fran. They had a core group of five who often discussed creating a non-profit to support their efforts. After Sarah’s mother passed in 2015, the legacy she left behind allowed Sarah to bring that idea to life in 2016. Since then, they have led a group of volunteers every year to support the work of Good Samaritan Mission Council in the Dominican Republic.
The trip requires significant planning and preparation. From recruiting volunteers, securing both prescription and over-the-counter medications, and medical and personal hygiene supplies to bring on the trip, they are busy all year long. “I think Fran may have gone to 17 different Dollar Trees looking for items. I think sometimes it’s like a never-ending scavenger hunt, trying to look for specific supplies that we utilize,” explained Mahon.
As the trip gets closer, they host packing parties to make the most of every inch of luggage space. “The people coming pack in a backpack and carry-on for their personal stuff, and their checked bags are all clinic supplies,” explained Mahon. “We have a luggage scale, and we pack those bags as close to 50 pounds as we can,” added Kade.
Once they arrive, the group gets to work. “We do five mobile clinics during the week. It’s a nine-to-ten-day trip, but most of that is prep work. We see somewhere between 400-600 people in those five days of clinic,” said Kade.
Most of the patients they see are battling hypertension, diabetes, and malnutrition. They try to give every person they see vitamins, a toothbrush and toothpaste and over-the-counter meds for minor symptoms. Those with hypertension and diabetes receive a 90-day supply of meds, enough to last them until the next mission group arrives. But what the volunteers get in return is priceless. “You’re working your butt off, but it’s this beautiful time of just working for others. It fills our buckets like crazy,” shared Kade.
Anyone with a heart to serve can join Team Tampa Bay Missions. “We are thrilled when we get medical professionals to come, especially providers. But anybody, even if you have zero medical knowledge, can come,” said Kade. “When we created this, we wanted anybody that has the heart to serve to feel like they had a place to do so. As hard as it can get, we can’t stop doing what we’re doing, because we have been able to create what the five of us with all different backgrounds wanted to create,” added Mahon.
In turn, this group has created a legacy of service and care that will live on for generations to come. Those who want to volunteer or otherwise support Team Tampa Bay Missions can learn more on their Facebook page or at http://ttbmissionsinc.org.