Jackson Free Clinic beneficiary of WellsFest
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Church-sponsored music festival raises thousands for JFC
Wells Memorial United Methodist Church in Jackson has donated more than $30,000 to the nonprofit, student-run Jackson Free Clinic.
Representatives of the clinic, which provides free medical, dental and psychiatric care and other services to those who can’t afford health insurance, accepted a check for $32,500 from the church on Nov. 23. The amount represents the net proceeds from WellsFest 2025, the church’s annual music and children’s festival held in October.
Students from several University of Mississippi Medical Center schools and health care training programs, as well as students from other state-supported and private institutions, volunteer at the clinic, launched by UMMC medical students in 2002. Students at the clinic are supervised by physicians and other health care practitioners.
Natasha Burrell, a third-year student in the UMMC School of Medicine and chief outreach officer for JFC, said the funds will help expand the clinic’s capabilities.
“Right now, we’re erecting a new building to gain more space for services we already provide and to help add new services,” she said in a news release from Wells. “All of us at JFC are grateful to Wells Church for their passion of serving disadvantaged populations.”
JFC’s latest annual report shows the clinic managed more than 2,300 patient visits in 2024. Each year, Wells Church selects a different nonprofit social service agency to receive the festival’s net proceeds.
“All of us at Wells Church send heartfelt thanks to the hundreds of volunteers, both within and outside our congregation, who make WellsFest possible,” said Rev. Susannah Grubbs Carr, the church’s senior pastor.
“Over the past 41 years, WellsFest has raised more than $1.5 million for area nonprofits assisting families and individuals in need. Our church views WellsFest as a love offering to the community. The greatest reward is the spirit of unity and generosity the festival fosters for worthy causes.”
For more information about Wells and its ministries, call 601-353-0658 or visit wellschurch.org. To learn more about the Jackson Free Clinic, visit its website here.