Giving back is about more than writing a check. Genuine community engagement involves being intentional with giving your time and talents for the good of the community.
I had the pleasure of speaking with several Atlanta community leaders about the philanthropic efforts of Dr. John Lipman of Atlanta Fibroid Center. I learned many things while writing this story, but two major points stand out:
- Dr. Lipman puts a big focus on being present in the Atlanta community by sponsoring community outreach events like the Georgia Spartans Back-to-School Drive, regularly meeting with local black clergy about the community’s needs, and more.
- He keeps his word by doing what he promises. You will find examples of Dr. Lipman answering challenges to give and staying true to his verbal commitments later in this story.
Hopefully, this story of faithful generosity will inspire you to become more active in your community by sharing your time, talents, and resources.
A Father’s Example And Supporting Future Doctors At Morehouse School Of Medicine
Lipman’s father, Dr. Earl S. Lipman, inspired his son not only to enter the medical field but to make giving and serving others a priority. Dr. Lipman has taken the torch from his father to carry on his legacy of excellent care and giving. His relationship with Morehouse School of Medicine is a perfect match for his calling as an Interventional Radiologist and a dedicated philanthropist.It all started with a giving challenge to fund new scholarships at Morehouse School of Medicine. School President Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice put out the challenge to the audience at a meeting on the campus. Not only was Dr. Lipman in attendance at that meeting, once again showing his diligence in being present, but he answered the call and decided to donate a portion of his philanthropic efforts to support a new scholarship at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Dr. Lipman worked with Patrick Powell (AVP Volunteer Engagement & Donor Philanthropy at Morehouse School of Medicine) to establish the Earl S. Lipman Endowed Scholarship for medical students at Morehouse School of Medicine. He was intent on coming alongside Morehouse School of Medicine to provide mentorship and support for future doctors and community engagers. Dr. Claude Klougan was the first recipient of the Earl S. Lipman Endowed Scholarship. Dr. Klougan is now a resident in Miami, Florida and is working on the front lines in a city that’s currently a hot spot for COVID-19 cases.
“I want to have a connection and a relationship with these students. Of course, it would be great if I can get them involved with IR. But more than that, I want to be a mentor as they serve the community.” – Dr. John Lipman in conversation with Patrick Powell about establishing the Earl S. Lipman Endowed Scholarship at Morehouse School of Medicine
The example that Dr. Lipman’s father left teaches a good lesson. Children watch what we do, and we should set a positive example by performing good deeds in their presence. You could inspire the next community leader or philanthropist by being a positive example like Dr. Lipman’s father was for him.
Giving To The Givers, Helping The Helpers
Mrs. Elizabeth Omilami has community engagement in her DNA. She is the daughter of the late American civil rights leader Hosea Williams of Hosea Feed The Hungry (now Hosea Helps). Mrs. Omilami and her husband Afemo Omilami would help her late father feed thousands of people at community events while pursuing their acting career. Her knowledge and experience with large community event logistics, which involved feeding thousands of people, made her the perfect person to lead Hosea Helps after her father’s passing. Mrs. Omilami has transformed the organization over the last twenty years to one that provides life’s necessities (including food, rent assistance, job placement, and counseling) to disadvantaged groups and individuals in the Atlanta area.
Omilami’s work at Hosea Helps brought her in contact with Dr. Lipman when they became acquainted at a black clergy meeting in Atlanta. She curiously wondered why Dr. Lipman would be at a black clergy meeting, but she would soon learn that’s just who he is–a person who is present where and when help is needed.
Hosea Helps hit a hard time when the building that housed their operations was sold without notice by their landlord who was taking advantage of the gentrification of Atlanta’s West End. This left Omilami and her team without a headquarters for offices or a warehouse for storage. But this unfortunate situation opened a door for Dr. Lipman to provide a needed blessing to Hosea Helps.
Another chance encounter between Mrs. Omilami and Dr. Lipman presented her with the opportunity to courageously ask Dr. Lipman for help with paying for the finishing of their new building. Dr. Lipman accepted the challenge and kept his word by giving $100,000 to Hosea Helps to help complete the build-out for their new headquarters.
“The gift of Dr. Lipman was a lifesaver for Hosea Helps. We are extremely thankful for them,” said Mrs. Omilami. She continued, “Dr. Lipman made himself available and accessible and that is very refreshing when everyone is busy with their own agenda.”
A Heart For The Homeless: Project U First
Erica Wright of Project U First has an amazing story of overcoming financial struggles of her own to be a light for Atlanta’s homeless population. Specifically, she focuses a good portion of her efforts on providing hygienic products to homeless women. Ms. Wright, who was homeless herself at a time–sleeping in her small office when she had nowhere else to go, can sympathize with the people that she serves.
Ms. Wright’s mission to serve the homeless community goes beyond Atlanta city limits. Project U First has taken their heart for the homeless to both U.S. coasts, providing food, hygiene products, and clothing at shelters and on the streets in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and New York City. The Los Angeles and New York City trips were road trips that allowed the Project U First team to stop at several cities along the way to give out hygiene kits at various shelters. Erica and her loyal team member Pam have served homeless communities in 19 U.S. states and internationally in Pari – hitting the highways and byways, as Ms. Wright likes to call it, all over the globe.
Project U First was founded by a leap of faith and God has provided for Erica and her team’s needs–receiving support from Delta Airlines, Bank of America, State Farm, AARP, Tyler Perry (who donated a new cargo van to Project U First), and many others.
Dr. Lipman was touched by Erica’s story when he saw her story aired on WSB-TV Channel 2. Her story and mission inspired Dr. Lipman to partner with Project U First and provide sanitary napkins to homeless women in the Atlanta area for the rest of 2020. Because of this timely partnership, Project U First is now able to give every homeless woman that they encounter a pack of 44 sanitary napkins, which will provide for the ladies’ hygienic needs through their menstrual cycle. Atlanta Fibroid Center’s kind gesture aligns with Ms. Wright’s mission to help homeless women remain clean despite their unfortunate circumstances.
Ms. Wright knows that she was chosen by God for this mission to serve the homeless. She has found life in serving others. It’s easy to see why Dr. Lipman and Ms. Wright make such a great connection for the needs of the community.
Atlanta Fibroid Center Supports Other Atlanta Community Events
Dr. Lipman and his team at Atlanta Fibroid Center are constantly involved in events and fundraising efforts in Atlanta and beyond. Some of the other key efforts not explicitly mentioned above include:
- Corporate sponsor of Georgia Spartans and their various events for the rest of 2020
- Sponsor of a health fair and scholarship by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women MECCA Chapter
- Supporter of The Heritage Fund, an HBCU medical school scholarship fund of the Atlanta Medical Association
- Sponsor of the MLK Drum Run, a 5K running event at Piedmont Park in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Lipman’s name is becoming synonymous with giving. He is quickly becoming recognized as one of the most respected and genuine philanthropists in Atlanta. Dr. Lipman and his family recognize that it’s vital to support the community that he serves at Atlanta Fibroid Center. His community efforts led to him being honored as a recipient of the 2019 T.O.R.C.H. (Together Our Resources Can Help) Health & Wellness Award at the RICE Awards.
“I think Dr. Lipman just loves people. He can show up in any room and just blend in. He’s just like one of the brothers!” – C Chandon Carter, Founder of the RICE Awards
Fighting Fibroids By Giving Back To The Community
“I like that black women are educated on other options besides getting a hysterectomy.” – Tracie Gay, National Coalition of 100 Black Women MECCA Chapter
A consistent message that I heard from those who I spoke with about Dr. Lipman and his community efforts was how his involvement helped them learn about the benefits of uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). Philanthropy gives Dr. Lipman opportunities to share his knowledge and experience with the non-surgical fibroid procedure that is helping black women overcome their suffering from fibroids.
UFE is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure for the treatment of uterine fibroids. The UFE fibroid procedure has a high success rate (90 percent) and treats all of the fibroids in the uterus. Because it is non-surgical, it is much safer than the surgical options for fibroid removal (myomectomy and hysterectomy). UFE preserves the patient’s fully-functioning uterus–leaving her with the ability to conceive, have a healthy pregnancy, and natural vaginal delivery.
It’s crucial for the black community to know about UFE as a non-surgical solution for fibroids because fibroids in black women occur at a higher rate. Studies have shown that black women are three times more likely to experience fibroids and their symptoms than other racial groups. This unfortunate data also makes Dr. Lipman’s community involvement and philanthropic efforts important for spreading the message about fibroids and UFE. His work is making a positive impact on women’s health and families for generations.
Get Help With Fibroids At Atlanta Fibroid Center
If you or someone close to you are experiencing any symptoms of uterine fibroids, please reach out to Atlanta UFE doctor John Lipman, MD and his informative staff at the Atlanta Fibroid Center.
Contact Dr. John Lipman of Atlanta Fibroid Center by calling 770-214-4600 or making an appointment online.
This story was written by Chris Craft of NeoLuxe Marketing. Chris is not a trained physician and does not give medical advice in this article. Please consult a qualified medical professional with any medical questions.
