The student-run HAVEN Free Clinic associated with Yale School of Medicine provides primary care services to uninsured patients in Greater New Haven. HAVEN’s eighth annual ¡ANDA! 5K fundraiser took place on Sunday, October 16. As in the past few years, ¡ANDA! was held virtually, with participants choosing their own routes, allowing HAVEN’s supporters, near and far, to join in the effort.
Over 150 individuals on 32 teams participated in the fundraiser, which contributes up to 70% of HAVEN’s total annual budget. All proceeds go directly to patient care, including reproductive health services, tuberculosis treatment, behavioral health sessions (in partnership with Connecticut Mental Health Center’s Hispanic Clinic), and specialty care, among many other services. Along with clinical care, student volunteers connect patients to medical debt relief; emergency cash assistance for rent, utilities, and food; and legal assistance through their medical-legal partnership with Yale Law School.
Supporting comprehensive care for a HAVEN patient for an entire year costs $439. HAVEN’s fundraising goal for the coming year of operations is $45,000. The organizers have raised about 58% of this goal to date, and the campaign will continue until their goal is reached.
One of HAVEN’s executive directors, Ragini Luthra, MD/MBA Class of 2024, describes how "HAVEN is a critical place of partnership between the Yale community, community-based organizations, and residents of New Haven.” Over 20 years of Yale students, across schools, have volunteered with the HAVEN Free Clinic. The student volunteers welcome any contributions on their event website.
HAVEN is a critical place of partnership between the Yale community, community-based organizations, and residents of New Haven.
Ragini Luthra, MD/MBA Class of 2024