“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
Psalm 103:2-3
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For our neighbors struggling with homelessness, healing can be multidimensional. No “band-aid” approach can cure what our guests are going through. For us, injuries, chronic illnesses, or mental struggles are hard enough on their own, but adding the layer of homelessness brings a sense of defeat and helplessness. After all, where can they go to heal and rest? Who will take care of them? How will they receive the resources they need?
Knox Area Rescue Ministries answers these questions by adding their support to the equation. Stephanie, the Director of Health Services, wonderfully explained, “When a guest is ill—physically, mentally, or emotionally—these challenges become barriers to restoration. That is where our Health Service team excels. They are guided by Christ’s example of compassion and service as they support our guests.”
KARM Care has two medical service programs: the Care Center and the HomeCare unit.
The Care Center is specifically set up as a walk-in clinic for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. They partner with Summit Medical to aid in crisis, wound care, medication, mental health, and other medical needs.
I had the honor of shadowing multiple staff members at KARM in the health services department. At the Care Center, I spoke to Amanda, the Care Center Manager.
Crisis Intervention
Amanda oversees the Care Centers’ services alongside KARM’s partners to ensure guests are offered the best care possible. This is through her desire to truly connect with our guests and her diligence to coordinate with our partners. “I’m constantly checking in on my partners because obviously that is our thriving part. We want our partners to have everything that they need to be successful.”
On most days, Amanda welcomes our partners who aid in: pharmaceutical care, blood work, wound care, mental health services, dental, vision, etc. She also conducts hospital referrals or behavior referrals and manages the med lockers, which allow guests to securely store their medicine. Guests can, of course, choose to keep it themselves, but this gives them ease knowing their medication is safe. For Amanda, this is more than just a service; it’s an opportunity. She said, “This is also an opportunity for me to build relationships with the guests. They feel comfortable talking to me.”
Her primary objective is to support our guests, and everything she does centers on that goal. Some would say she wears many hats, possibly because the Care Center caters to so many different types of needs. “You don’t know what’s gonna walk in the door.” In fact, the Care Center is one of the first places guests will go to. After finishing their intake with Care Coordination, they are sent to Amanda for a health assessment.
Amanda’s main job is to conduct health assessments, which is a launching point for what service a guest might need next. It is a self-reported medical and surgical history with allergies, substance abuse, mental health, and cognitive decline. I watched as Amanda conducted the health assessment with multiple guests. She created a “no judgment zone” and carefully listened to the guests. What I found admiring was how she asked them not as a professional, but as a friend.
The guests warmed up to her as they shared their medical history. That is important because most guests have made decisions they aren’t proud of and could possibly be wary to share. But Amanda was patient enough to listen and converse with them in a way that made the assessment natural. As the guests went through their medical history, they arrived at the mental health exam.
In the quiz, a guest is to rate how often they feel a particular emotion. Amanda said, “I would say at least 95% of the guests who are answering these questions struggle with mental health. I couldn’t imagine being here and not having some kind of even mild depression.” She went on to explain a guest she spoke to one time who answered no throughout the entire questionnaire. No allergies, surgeries, or medical needs. Though when it came to the mental health portion, he expressed yes to every option. He felt depressed, fatigued, hopeless, and anxious. And he felt all of these, minus thoughts of being better off dead, every day. There, in that room, he began to cry. In response, Amanda comforted him and allowed him time in the calm room to breathe.
Amanda expressed what she thinks in those moments:
“We all have a story. There have been multiple things in my life that have happened. I questioned God like, ‘Why are you letting this happen to me?’ And when I’m sitting with someone in a crisis intervention who needs help. I don’t have to explain my story. I tell them to please understand that I’m sorry that happened to you, and please know that my care for you is coming from a heart of understanding.”
Amanda’s position causes 50% of her day to be spent saying “I’m sorry.” It’s difficult to say no to someone who’s been told no over and over again. Only our partners are able to conduct medical services, and Amanda can’t always offer exactly what a guest needs in that moment. But she said, “I’m 100% an empath. I’m a fixer. And I’m aware that I can’t fix everything.” During a health exam, a guest explained she had spent the night in the dirt. She then turned to Amanda, drained, and expressed a simple desire for a change of clothes. Amanda expressed to me: “With that woman, do you know how good it felt to be like, yes, you know what, we have some clothes for you.”
Amanda is determined and steadfast in how she handles each situation thrown her way. She receives guests with grace and empathy. The Care Center welcomes so many guests with different cases or life circumstances, yet I have full faith that they will always be met with the utmost care at the Care Center.
Healing is multifaceted and can’t be accomplished without the aid of others. That became more apparent as I met with each of these amazing staff members. My appreciation for the Care Center has grown, and I hope this article has shed light on this beautiful program that continues to flourish and grow!
Highlights
1. I mentioned before the guest who spent the night in the dirt. That resonates with me because it speaks to something I hadn’t thought of before: Where do you go when you have nowhere to go? No one makes a backup plan for if they become homeless, because no one expects to be homeless. So when a hypothetical becomes reality, options seem dire. What’s safe? What’s accessible? That uncertainty in itself can be jarring. Though if you add trauma and painful experiences to the mix, it creates a terrifying situation. That’s why I love how KARM desires to holistically cater to their guests. They don’t just offer easy solutions; they get their hands dirty and walk alongside someone in a hard season of their life.
2. I noticed during the health assessments, Amanda took time to ask about guests’ families. Most times when we think about those struggling with homelessness, we imagine a person alone with no relationships. Though it can be more complicated than that. Sometimes they had relationships and lost them, sometimes they keep a distance because of shame, or perhaps they’ve exhausted a relationship so much that they’ve been cut off. There were two guests who expressed that they were fathers to multiple children. I thought about how hard it must be for their children; how helpless they might feel. For example, earlier that day, a woman came into the Care Center with her sister, who was obviously under the influence. Tears rained down the woman’s cheeks because she had no idea what she could do for her sister. You might be someone who has a family member or friend struggling with homelessness. I want to say that I admire your care for your loved ones. Know that God cares for your loved ones more than you ever could. There might not be a lot you can do, but you can always pray for them. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, it is enough.
Did You Know
KARM’s total medical services for the year 2025 was 8,554! That’s a lot of guests receiving care.
One of the aspects that makes the Care Center run is our partners! Without them, we wouldn’t be able to offer the services we provide!
- Knox County Health Department
- Knox Street Medicine Outreach
- Metro Drug Coalition
- Peninsula Behavioral Health
- Samaritan
- Summit Medical Group
- West Care
If you’d like to know more about becoming a Care Center Community Partner, please email the Director of the Care Center, Stephanie Pardue, spardue@karm.org.
By: Laura Lee Cochran; Copywriter
This post is a part of our First Look article series. Its goal is to give you a first look experience into volunteering at KARM while highlighting our many programs