Turning $6,400 into $772,702.06

Who wouldn't kill for that ability, right?

Meet Veronica Almaguer, case manager at Cristo Rey Community Center in Lansing, Mich.

Cristo Rey is the only organization in mid-Michigan with one staff member entirely devoted to assisting uninsured, low-income residents with access to free medication. Almaguer is an angel to hundreds of tri-county residents who otherwise would never be able to navigate the intricacies of all of the forms drug companies require to qualify for such assistance.

"If you're not familiar with the system, you're lost," she said. "It can be overwhelming, especially for seniors, especially for those who speak only Spanish."

Veronica evaluates all clients personally and pairs them with the programs they will qualify for.

As a result of the Capital Region Community Foundation's $6,400 grant in 2009 as well as money from other funding sources, the prescription assistance program was able to secure $772,702.06 worth of prescription medication for 1,365 people.


Not having to spend money on medication allowed those people to instead pay for food and housing.

"We have seen a significant increase in people needing assistance in the past year," Almaguer said. "Some people have 10, 20 prescriptions a month they need filled. If they can't get that medication, they get sicker, which leads to lost work time, which can lead to hospitalization ..."

Those are costs that can get passed on to taxpayers.

Instead, by funding this program, uninsured, low-income people can get access to much-needed medication ... and can work ... and make money to take care of themselves and their families.

Almaguer herself is a great story. She's originally from Monterrey, Mexico, where she earned a bachelor's degree in administration. She got married and moved to Lansing, joining the Cristo Rey staff in 2003. "I like being in contact with people. I like helping people," she said.

John Roy Castillo, Cristo Rey's executive director, is effusive in his praise of Almaguer. "Of all the programs here, this one leverages the most funds. ... Without our service, those people are lost. Veronica fills out all the paperwork. Because the requirements for each company are totally different, it's lost time if you don't do it right."

Half of Cristo Rey's staff is bilingual, but their services are not limited to mid-Michigan's Hispanic community. Castillo says 50 percent of their clients are white, 25 percent are black, 23 percent are Hispanic and 2 percent are of other ethnic backgrounds.

"We're a one-stop service to the community -- all of the community," Castillo said. There's even a CATA bus stop right in front of their main door.

Cristo Rey's program is vital to the Lansing area, and Almaguer is vital to Cristo Rey.