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Welcome to the October issue of The Wellness Corner - the e-newsletter for our community of advocates and enthusiasts - from Big Bend Cares and Care Point Health & Wellness Center.
In this issue, we follow up on Beer Fest; wrap up another successful AIDS Walk; recognize the legacy of our retiring CEO; look forward to the start of this year's Holiday Angels program; honor this month's Champions of Care; continue the celebration of our 40th Anniversary; welcome in autumn with our Dental team; highlight some upcoming awareness days; and share other ways you can support our mission.
Every day, Big Bend Cares and Care Point continue to provide essential assistance and quality health care to those we serve in the Tallahassee and Big Bend area (Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla counties). Our services include free HIV and STD testing, primary health care, dental care, lab work, sexual health education, courtesy transportation services, home-delivered meals, co-pay assistance for medications, and case management services.
These services wouldn't be possible without your generous donations, support, and contributions. To you reading this newsletter- thank you for helping us provide health care and much more to those in need - we appreciate you!
Thank you for reading!
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Amy Thorn
Board President
Big Bend Cares
Care Point Health & Wellness Center
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| | | Tallahassee Beer Festival | | |
Thank you UPHS and everyone that made it out to the Tallahassee Beer Festival August 9th! As you may know, Big Bend Cares is a partner agency for the Beer Fest, wherein we receive a portion of the proceeds raised by the event, proportional with ticket sales made using our code.
This year, UPHS reports that the event exceeded the distribution totals of all previous years, with the 2025 net income allocated to UPHS and us amounting to $94,286.25. After the split and weighing our ticket share, Big Bend Cares received a participation total of
| | From UPHS: THANK YOU all for making the evening a tremendous success! We couldn’t have done this without you. | | 2025 Tallahassee AIDS Walk | | |
The 35th Annual Tallahassee AIDS Walk was a success! Raising over $24,000, our community showed up, with hundreds "Taking a Step Forward" to bring awareness of HIV/AIDS to Tallahassee. |
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The evening was full of fellowship, food, music, and education, as we welcomed community partners to speak about the importance of our work and the need to continue supporting those living with the virus. |
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We even got to recognize our own Tracy Wampler with the Bobby Wilson Jr. Award! Be sure to congratulate her on being an excellent example of advocacy and care. |
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The evening was full of fellowship, food, music, and education, as we welcomed community partners to speak about the importance of our work and the need to continue supporting those living with the virus. |
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AIDS Walk wouldn't exist without you and your support. Another huge thanks to every volunteer, Board Member, and employee that helped the event run smoothly for our best year yet! |
| | Check out the full photo album here: | | |
We also want to thank everyone for joining us at our Celebrity Bartending and Karaoke Night fundraisers to support the walk!
We are so grateful to our celebrity bartenders, Janel Diaz of Capital Tea, and Rep. Gallop Franklin, for donating their time to serve drinks and serve our mission. And shoutout to Madison Social and 926 Bar & Grill for hosting these events!
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Rob Renzi Retiring as CEO | |
After 20 years of dedicated leadership, we bid a heartfelt farewell to our CEO, Rob Renzi as he stepped into retirement September 30th. Over the past two decades, Rob has guided our organization with vision, integrity, and unwavering commitment to our mission. Rob’s legacy will be felt for years to come—in the programs we’ve built and the lives we’ve touched.
We thank Rob for his extraordinary service and wish him joy, health, and fulfillment in this next chapter.
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Each year, Big Bend Cares is proud to host the Holiday Angels program, a gift sponsorship program that supports clients with the financial burden of living with HIV, which can make for a difficult holiday season.
Holiday Angels signup is now open! Least year, we had over 100 families enroll, with over 300 children, and we were amazed at the outpouring of the community to sponsor them all. Our goal is to do the same this year, and see all children sponsored by Thanksgiving!
This program is a great way to engage with your family, coworkers, faith groups, social clubs, and more, to spread some holiday cheer with new toys and warm clothes. Click the button below to learn more and become a Holiday Angel for a family of 1-10 children!
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| September and October Champions of Care | | We are excited to announce our Champions of Care honorees who were recognized on August 22nd and on October 1st for exemplifying compassion, collaboration, and commitment to our mission: | | Dennis Andrews, Case Manager | | Ava Green, Medical Assistant | | Tracie Hodge, Chief Financial Officer | | Patricia Griffin, Case Manager | | |
Erma Morris, SURE Housing Case Manager | | | |
This is our monthly peer recognition program where every month, where we spotlight 1-2 team members who are the unsung heroes of our work, and help us thrive as an organization.
Join us in congratulating our September and October honorees, Dennis, Ava, Tracie, Patricia, and Erma!
| | Celebrate Big Bend Cares’ 40th Anniversary with us! | | |
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For 40 years, we’ve walked alongside thousands of people on their journey to wellness. To honor this milestone, we’re sharing 40 stories—from clients, staff, volunteers, and partners—who’ve helped shape our mission of advancing HIV services and sexual health for all.
Stay tuned for info on our upcoming Open House!
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| Help Us Reach $40,000 for Our 40th Year | | Join our Givers Every Month (GEM) Club at a $40/month level, or raise your current membership by $5/month, and receive a limited run 40th Anniversary t-shirt! | | |
To welcome in the spooky season, Dental wishes everyone a very Happy Fall! |
| National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day | | | |
October 15 is National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day. According to the CDC, Latinos accounted for 33% of new HIV infections in 2022. NLAAD's objective is to unite and mobilize the community to promote HIV testing and education. |
| | Givers Every Month (GEM) Club | | |
Last year, over 3,730 no cost food bags were given to our clients in Tallahassee and the Big Bend facing food insecurity because of our GEM Club members.
And GEM Club members make it possible for us to provide FREE comprehensive health care to our uninsured patients, with no sliding fee scale.
What is a GEM Club member?
It’s you and me - neighbors helping neighbors. GEM (Givers Every Month) Club members donate monthly and 100% of their gifts go towards food and health care for our neighbors in need. Want to become a GEM Club member and help us serve others? Click the button below:
| | Take a Tour of Care Point Today! | | |
Ever wonder what happens beyond the closed doors of Care Point?
Sign up for a guided tour today and witness a behind-the-scenes view of “the 27,000 square feet of awesomeness!” including the 10 patient exam rooms, lab, x-ray facility, and dental wing.
For details and to reserve a space on the next tour, please email lgallo@bigbendcares.org
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We hope you enjoyed the October 2025 issue of The Wellness Corner. If you have questions or want more information about any of the topics covered, please email ssmallwood@bigbendcares.org or call (850) 656-2437 ext. 224. |
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Big Bend Cares, Inc. / Care Point Health & Wellness Center is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), federal tax-exempt organization. All donations are deemed tax-deductible.
FEIN: 59-2816580
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