The Reality in Far Rockaway

In Far Rockaway, New York, families are fighting more than illness — they’re fighting to be seen.

• Population: 73,000+

• Median Household Income: $27,820

• 1 in 3 children live below the poverty line

• Chronic Disease Rates:

  • 32% obesity

  • 15% diabetes

  • 34% hypertension

• Mental Health Crisis: Trauma, depression, and addiction are rising — especially among Black and Brown youth. This is one of NYC’s most underserved neighborhoods. It’s a medical desert, where even basic care is a luxury. And yet, every day, lives are on the line.

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Why Wellcome Care Exists

Wellcome Care Medical was born because we saw how this community was being ignored — and how that neglect was making people sicker.
 

"I don’t feel human in most clinics."
— Patient comment during community outreach

 

We exist to change that.

Led by Dr. Randi B. Nelson, a Black woman pediatrician and community advocate, we opened a multi-specialty medical home — built with love, led by science, and grounded in justice.
 

In just under a year, we’ve:

• Served 600+ patients across 2,000+ visits

• Maintained a 100% positive patient feedback rate

• Hired staff directly from the community

• Delivered compassionate care to victims of abuse, trauma, grief, and poverty

We treat every patient like they matter — because they do.

But now, we need your help to continue.
 

Why We’re Asking for Help

We are a Medicaid-majority clinic. That means our revenue rarely covers the true cost of the care we provide.
We’ve cut wait times, raised quality, and built trust — but the financial pressure is growing.

Your gift would allow us to:

• Keep our clinic open and staffed

• Expand our behavioral health program (our most in-demand service)

• Reach isolated residents through outreach and digital access

• Launch a telehealth mental health platform for all of New York

• Complete our plans for radiology, lab services, and adult day care

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Real Patients. Real Impact.

Ms. Johnson, 72

Was taking three buses just to get a blood pressure check.
Now, she walks five minutes to Wellcome Care —
and says it’s the first time she’s felt listened to.
 

Malik, 9

Used to visit the ER monthly for asthma.
After coordinated care at our clinic, he’s gone four
months attack-free — and smiling again.

Tanya, 33

Came in after losing her job and suffering a
mental health breakdown. “Therapy here saved my life.
They didn’t treat me like a case. They treated me like a person.”

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This Is Bigger Than a Clinic

This is a movement to rebuild trust in healthcare.

To remind people — especially those in forgotten places — that they deserve to be treated like they matter. You’re not just donating. You’re changing the story for a child who’s seen too much. For a grandmother who’s tired of waiting. For a parent who’s out of options.

 

We’re licensed in New York, California, and DC/MD/VA, and plan to bring this model of dignity-centered care to communities across the country​