A Hub For Health

Partnerships are often what brings our dreams to fruition and can form lasting friendships. This is what happened when I, Katharine Schrock, met Katherine Dick, nine years ago.

I was seeking out acupuncture services as a way to be “preventative” with my health, versus waiting for some ominous medical diagnosis to appear in my life. I met her at Ray of Light in Elkhart, and was impressed with how engaging and knowledgeable she was about acupuncture. Based on her passion and easy-going manner, I decided to invite her to be a guest speaker at a nursing class I was teaching at Goshen College which explored the sociological impact of health and illness.

In the nursing class, I heard her speak about her desire to bridge conventional allopathic medicine with non-allopathic complimentary treatments. We were both excited that the nursing students were interested in learning more about acupuncture, and the feedback about the presentation was overwhelmingly positive. Our professional connection grew into a friendship.

I continued to see Katherine over the years for monthly acupuncture treatments and at one point shared my vision of creating a holistic treatment center that would include mental health services and other complimentary treatments to integrate mind, body and spirit. Little did I know that Katherine Dick had a similar dream of providing a community acupuncture clinic focused on reducing stress, at a low cost. She especially wanted to reach out to first responders, who experience stress on a regular basis.

When the possibility of 313 on 3rd became a reality, I asked Katherine if she would consider starting her clinic here and forming a new business partnership. We reflected upon our experience with the Goshen College students who reinforced our belief in the open mindedness of the Goshen community, and we decided to go for it!

I want to acknowledge that without the kind support of Heart City Toyota and Family Chiropractic Clinic, the first year of the Community Acupuncture clinic would not have grown into what it is now. I am proud to say that the clinic has served 20 first responders and 158 community members year to date.

Just to give you a quick overview, the clinic begins promptly at 6 pm every Wednesday and is limited to 10 people. At the clinic, each person receives five very small needles in each ear while they rest comfortably for 20 minutes. Clients are in and out of the clinic within 45 minutes, making it easier to fit into a busy day! The feedback from participants has been positive with repeat customers. Some participants report feeling more relaxed and experience more restful sleep after treatment

Who would have known that this friendship between these two Katherine’s with similar dreams and life stages, would have blossomed into a partnership to further serve our community of Goshen? Both of our hearts go out to those individuals that selflessly serve our community – the police, fire, EMS, emergency room personnel, and veterans and hope they can benefit from our clinic.