St. Anna’s Medical Mission (SAMM) is now a semi-finalist for a $50,000 Pepsi “Do Good for the Gulf” grant, a grant created to help Louisiana coastal communities affected by the oil spill. If SAMM wins, it will use the grant to provide medical and mental health services to the affected communities.

St. Anna’s Episcopal Church founded SAMM in 2006 in response to Hurricane Katrina’s devastating blow to affordable and accessible health care in the area. It is now a 38-foot mobile unit that offers health care services to low-income adults and all those without insurance. According to SAMM’s Pepsi voting Web page, SAMM “provides its services to all people, regardless of religion or any other factors, and maintains a strict ‘no-proselytization’ policy.”

Mental health issues have increased greatly due to catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina and the recent oil spill. Community Wellness Director Diana Meyers, R.N. states, “Some of the people [they’ve] talked to have expressed that they’re worried about what the future holds. [They wonder] what if the fishing doesn’t come back; their livelihoods are not there.” The stress of the oil spill has also caused many physical ailments among the local residents, such as higher blood pressure.

SAMM works diligently to help those suffering from physical and mental health issues of the oil spill. They are now asking for the public’s help in winning this grant from Pepsi. Meyers says, “Votes from the community will decide which of the many deserving semi-finalists get funding. With enough votes, we will have capacity to provide no-cost, quality health care in lower St. Bernard Parish and possibly other surrounding parishes.” With this $50,000 prize, SAMM hopes to provide more services – including medical screening, mental health services, counseling, and flu shots – to many more people.

SAMM is asking the public to go to their Pepsi Refresh Project page. First time voters will be asked to sign up with email and birthday. SAMM is also asking voters to vote daily – voting ends on August 31 – and to share the link with others. For assistance, the public may contact [email protected]. Finalists will be announced on September 2.