2025 Free Clinic Volunteer of the Year

In December, the Charitable Healthcare Network (CHN) celebrates the extraordinary volunteers who make Ohio’s free and charitable clinics a lifeline for thousands of patients. This year, we are proud to honor Tom Pike, LPN, as the 2025 Free Clinic Volunteer of the Year.

Tom volunteers at Grace Clinics of Ohio’s Marion Clinic, where his compassion and dedicated commitment have deeply impacted both patients and the community. With a career spanning more than 20 years in healthcare, including work with developmentally disabled adults and incarcerated individuals, as well as 31 years of military service in the U.S. Army and Ohio Army National Guard, Tom brings exceptional skill and dedication to every patient encounter.

Tom’s dedication to serving others began early, inspired by his parents’ example of volunteerism. Over the years, he has contributed to a variety of organizations, including Special Olympics, Recreation Unlimited, and Family Promise. 

After COVID, Tom and his wife, Kellie, became involved with the Marion campus of their church, just as Grace Clinics began expanding into the area.“It just seemed like God was lining everything up for us to help with this new clinic,” Tom shared.

Grace Clinics of Ohio operates faith-based free medical clinics serving uninsured and underinsured individuals at or below 200% of the federal poverty level across Central Ohio. The nonprofit runs multiple locations, including Hilliard, Marion, Delaware, Wellston, and Columbus (Linden area), offering primary care, dental, vision, prescription assistance, and specialist services through volunteer healthcare providers.

At Grace Clinics, Tom volunteers alongside Kellie, providing hands-on nursing care to patients of all ages. Over the past year, he has helped administer over 120 no-cost sports physicals, connecting young people with opportunities in school athletics, mentorship, and community engagement. Many patients have shared that they don’t know what they would have done if the clinic weren’t open, a testament to the real impact of Tom’s work.

Angela Johnson, Executive Director of Grace Clinics of Ohio, highlighted Tom’s exceptional service by sharing, "Tom brings a lifetime of experience caring for others. He serves our patients with dignity, compassion, and selflessness, always putting their needs first. His dedication and heart for service make him an invaluable member of the Marion community and a cornerstone of Grace Clinics’ mission."

For Tom, volunteering has become deeply meaningful. As he explains, “Seeing the difference we can make in the people we serve gives me a sense of purpose and reassures me that I am where I’m supposed to be, doing God’s work in my own small way.”

Tom Pike embodies the spirit of Free Clinic Appreciation Month: compassion, service, and a constant commitment to improving the lives of those who need it most. His dedication strengthens Grace Clinics’ Marion Clinic and the Central Ohio community.

Please join us in congratulating Tom on being named the 2025 Free Clinic Staff of the Year, and celebrating the impact of volunteers and providers like him who make free and charitable clinics a vital part of Ohio’s healthcare safety net. He and all of this year’s Free Clinic Appreciation Month Award recipients will be honored at the Free Clinic Appreciation Awards Reception on April 29, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. For more information about the event, please visit: https://www.charitablehealthcarenetwork.org/who-we-are/what-we-do/free-clinic-appreciation-month.html