The 2022 Lynn Sloan Barnes Exceptional Service Award recipients Larry Irwin and Debra Garing.
Grace Clinic recently presented its annual Exceptional Service award to two of its volunteers. Grace Clinic of Yadkin Valley was founded on June 29, 2005 as the Tri-County Health Resource Center, Inc. but locally known as Grace Clinic. Its initial goal was to help people get medical appointments with area doctors and transport them to the appointments. It also provided patients with medication vouchers to area pharmacies.
Founders were Lynn Sloan Barnes, Reverend Ralph Shipp, Reverend Al Joyner and Dr. Stephen Erlandson who continues to serve as a Board Member and volunteer Medical Director.
The Clinic was started after Lynn Barnes went on Mission Trips outside the U.S. and realized there were many people in her own backyard who were not receiving medical care. She came up with the idea to start a clinic and became its first Executive Director. The first home of the Clinic was at the Elkin First United Methodist Church where Lynn was a deaconess. After several relocations, Grace Clinic has grown to serve more patients at its current location of 948 Johnson Ridge Road, Elkin.
Lynn passed away in 2011, but her legacy lives on. The Grace Clinic Board of Directors annually presents The Lynn Sloan Barnes Exceptional Service Award to volunteers who further the mission of Grace Clinic. The 2022 recipients are Larry Irwin and Debra Garing, both have served as Board Members and other capacities for many years. Larry serves as Supervising Pharmacist for the Clinic and Debra serves as Board Secretary.