Marva Petty, RN & Joan McLean, RN

Volunteering since 1990

Free Clinic of SW Washington relies on its committed volunteers to help fulfill the mission of providing free, compassionate, quality health care. Long time friends Marva Petty and Joan McLean are both nurses and have been volunteering as a team on a regular monthly basis since the Free Clinic’s doors opened in 1990. Once a month they come to the Clinic with home baked treats in hand and dedicate 3 hours of their evening to helping patients in need of medical assistance.

They started volunteering as part of the support provided by the Fort Vancouver Nurses Association. As they explain it, “there was a great need in the community and we wanted to help meet that need.” Marva describes Joan as a retired nurse and a “Professional Volunteer.” Joan enjoys music, cooking and spending time with her black cat!! Marva is a nurse consultant with The Medical Resource Network in Portland. She is an excellent cook and even had some of her recipes in the The Caring Cook, the Free Clinic’s cookbook, published in 2006.
Volunteering at the Free Clinic provides the opportunity for Marva and Joan to spend time with patients. Volunteering allows them to interact and meet other professionals from a variety of medical backgrounds and share in the common goal of helping patients who would not have the opportunity to receive medical care. They love the patients that the Clinic serves and enjoy teaching them how to live healthier lives.
Thank you Marva and Joan for your long-time dedication and willingness to help make a difference in our community; we are truly honored to have you both as significant members of our volunteer family!!!

April 2008