While he said he will continue to support the mission of the foundation, he also hopes to continue his service to others through his other passion: going on medical missions to such places as Guatemala, India, Haiti and Uganda through his home church, First Baptist Church of Covington.
Since 2001, Mr. Kendrick has taken dozens of such trips, serving as a team leader to help provide medical and dental care, malnutrition treatment and vocational training to the people living there. He’s already planning his next one, a return trip to Uganda.
“Uganda ignited a passion and calling for a vulnerable population devastated by civil war and the AIDS epidemic,” Mr. Kendrick said. “Millions of children were left orphaned, destitute and struggling to survive … with no hope for the future. We serve to help transform lives and communities for Christ by providing medical care. ”
It’s all really an extension of the same passion for healthcare that saw him serve on the St. Tammany Hospital Foundation board over the past decade.
Asked which of the foundation’s programs he’s most proud of, he singled out two.
The first is the Little Grant, Big Impact program, which provides funding for small projects identified directly by care providers at St. Tammany Health System that might otherwise fall through the cracks.
The other project holding a special place in the heart of the Marine Corps veteran is the Honor Red, White and Blue program, which recognizes military veterans at the time of their admission to STHS’s Covington hospital on through to their time of discharge – including a solemn, closely choreographed ceremony in the event of the death of a patient who is also a veteran.
“Here in St. Tammany Parish and the surrounding areas, we are privileged to have an award-winning, world-class hospital,” Mr. Kendrick said. “So, because of the impact STHS has on our community it is an honor to help contribute to the mission and vision of the foundation.
He continued: “I believe each of us has a servant heart. Although my tenure with the Board of Trustees has come to an end, I will continue to shout out the mission of St. Tammany Hospital Foundation but hope to continue serving others through my church’s foreign missions and wherever God leads me.”