Description & Mission
The mission of Edwards Street Fellowship Mission Center is to shine the light of God's love. Their purpose is to provide a helping hand to the poor, the underserved, and the suffering in the greater Hattiesburg area. In addition to a food pantry, a thrift store, community gardens, family programming, Edwards Street Fellowship Center also features a Fellowship Health Clinic. The mission of the health clinic is to marshal volunteer lay and professional resources to provide high quality medical, dental, and pharmaceutical care at no cost to eligible uninsured and underinsured residents of Forrest and Lamar counties.
Contact Information
1919 Edwards Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401
info@edwardsstreetfellowship.org
601-544-6149
Health Partner Agency, Access to Quality Healthcare
United Way of Southeast Mississippi funds are used to cover expenses of the Edwards Street Health Clinic not covered by outside, designated grants from other sources. These expenses range from lab tests to medical supplies to prescription medications. These costs are critical to the efficiency and effectiveness of patient care at the Edwards Street Fellowship Health clinic while maintaining low-to-no costs for the patients served.
Support Services Partner Agency, Nutrition & Food Services
In addition to serving as a health clinic, the Edwards Street Fellowship Center provides families with bags of groceries through their Food Pantry operations. United Way of Southeast Mississippi funds are also utilized to purchase nutritious food that is to be dispersed to families in Forrest and Lamar counties. Many times, food pantries receive an assortment of donations that don't make up balanced meals. Funds from United Way allow for the pantry to purchase items in bulk to round out the monthly bags.
Meet Brad.
When he arrived at Fellowship Health Clinic in the fall of 2018, 60-year-old “Brad” was diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and major depression with suicidal ideation. A smoker, Brad also had pulmonary emphysema (COPD). Brad was feeling hopeless. He explained to FHC staff that his divorce was partly due to his history of alcohol use. He had lost his job, his family relationships were strained, and he could no longer afford to see a doctor or obtain medications. He was living in an uninhabitable house with someone for whom he served as caretaker in exchange for basic provisions.
Thanks to United Way funding, Brad was able to receive medication for his diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, and depression. FHC’s nurse education program provided him with diabetic testing supplies and a blood pressure cuff, conducted a diabetic foot exam, and guided him though educational modules on hypertension and diabetes. FHC staff obtained a referral for mental health services for Brad and assisted him with enrollment in a pharmaceutical assistance program for his breathing inhalers. With the proper medication and education, Brad’s health—and his life—have been transformed! He quit smoking and his vital signs have improved dramatically. After ten months at the free clinic, his A1C dropped, his total cholesterol and his LDL lowered. His blood pressure fell into the “normal” range at 118/70. All of these health improvements are contributing to Brad’s significantly improved mental health and sense of hopefulness for his future.