Eunice Community Health Center raises more than $14K during Jail and Bail

Even the chief of police is not immune from having a warrant out for his arrest.
Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot said, “I told everyone at the Kiwanis meeting that they were going to hear things about me around town today, that there was a warrant out for my arrest. You should have seen their faces, but as I explained, they realized it was for the Eunice Community Health Center’s Jail and Bail fundraiser. They posted most of my bail money.”
Fontenot was one of more than 100 people to participate in the center’s first Jail and Bail event. He was escorted into the courtyard at Ruby’s Restaurant and Courtyard in handcuffs and stripes by Officer Nick Cooley. Fontenot was soon joined by Dr. Zeb Stearns, the clinic’s volunteer medical director, who was escorted by Lt. Varden Guillory. Stearns, Dr. Jevin Bordelon and Dugout owner Chris Savoy each raised more than $2,000 during the fundraiser.
Yancy Fontenot, executive director of the center, said there has been an increase in the number of patients utilizing the center.
“We get new enrollments every day we are open. We have been getting a lot of new people because of the layoffs in the oil and gas industry. We want to bring awareness to what the clinic does.”
In 2014, the Eunice Community Health Center filled 178,311 prescriptions, provided 7,280 primary care nurse practitioner services and had 71,136 client encounters. The center does not receive any government funding and relies entirely on donations.
When planning for the Jail and Bail began, Fontenot told the center’s board she hoped to raise $5,000, and with the success of this year’s event, another Jail and Bail is already in the cards for next year.
“We want to thank everyone who helped out with the event and donated to the event,” she added.