ABC World News to feature ECHO clinic

The Eureka Christian Health Outreach (ECHO) Clinic will be featured on "ABC World News with Charles Gibson" during Christmas week as part of its "Spirit of America" series.

ABC News reporter Erin Hayes and her crew visited ECHO recently and videotaped a typical Thursday night at the clinic and interviewed volunteers and others to get a feel of the clinic and its work.

"What a wonderful opportunity this exposure on a national network is for our burgeoning clinic," said Clinic Director Suzi Bell. "Since we operate on gracious donations from caring individuals, businesses and civic clubs, this broadcast segment will do us a lot of positive good. God has good things planned for ECHO and I see this as part of His plan for us."

The ABC News crew arrived at Faith Christian Family Church at 157 Huntsville Rd. early on Dec. 11, then stayed through the clinic's breakdown and clean-up to capture all aspects of this free clinic, which offers not only free medical care but also free medication, free lab and x-ray, social services, counseling and a free hot meal.

"In addition to what we do medically, we also offer our eclectic mix of patients encouragement and caring," noted Bell. "Our volunteers -- and we are a 100-percent volunteer organization -- are simply and whole-heartedly dedicated to showing the example of love that Jesus' showed and I think that the cameras of ABC News captured that."

ECHO is a faith-based Christian non-profit coalition of all the churches in the greater Eureka Springs area.

"It is ECHO's belief that this coalition is a powerful, synergistic force that can problem solve and do more good together than any of the individual churches could do separately," Bell said.

"And it doesn't hurt having God backing you either," Bell added, "especially as we search for a permanent site for our clinic. That is our prayer."

The ECHO segment is scheduled to air sometime during the week of Dec. 25 during the 5:30 p.m. broadcast over ABC affiliate stations. It will also be available on the ABC Web site at http://ABCnews.go.com.

For more information regarding ECHO or to make a donation, e-mail echo@hbeark.com or call 253-5547.