ShareThisFirst, more and more of his patients couldn't afford the medicines he prescribed.
Then Dr. Shasher Singh read about several local business and plant closings and slowdowns, and that the St. Lucie County School District plans to cut more than 300 jobs, some through layoffs.
As he has in the past, Singh, a dermatologist with a practice next to the St. Lucie Medical Center, opened his heart and his wallet: This week he donated $100,000 to Mustard Seed Ministries, a Fort Pierce-based non-profit that helps needy families pay rent and utility bills and provides emergency food, clothing and shelter.
"I felt bad for some of my patients," Singh said, "people who lost their jobs after 10 or 15 years. You lose your job and you lose your health insurance; now they can't afford their medications."
Singh asked that his donation be used to help families who have come on hard times because of the bad economy.
Finding people to fit that description won't be hard, said Stacy Malinowski, program director for Mustard Seed, because so many people fall into that category.
"Our phones don't stop ringing," Malinowski said. "People are saying, 'I've been laid off,' 'I can't pay my bills,' 'I can't pay for my prescriptions.' Even if people who've had their hours cut from 40 hours a week to 20, it just means they can only pay half their bills now. So Dr. Singh's money is really desperately needed.
"I could use five more Dr. Singhs," she added.
Singh said he hopes his donation will "get the ball rolling. Maybe people who are fortunate to have jobs and aren't in danger of getting laid off will consider themselves lucky and do something to help other people out."
Singh, a native of India who moved to Port St. Lucie about 29 years ago, has made significant donations to the community before:
-- In 2004 he contributed $250,000 to help low-income elderly victims of hurricanes Frances and Jeanne pay for their prescription drugs and housing.
-- In November, he donated $1,500 to Mustard Seed to buy the final 147 turkeys the organization needed for its annual Thanksgiving Day community feast in downtown Fort Pierce.
"Of course, some people will say, 'He's a doctor; he can afford it,' " Malinowski said. "Well, maybe; but I'll bet he could have come up with something else to do with that money."
Malinowski said donations don't have to be as large as Singh's to help.
"I get thrilled getting a $20 check, too," Malinowski said.
(Tyler Treadway writes for Scripps Treasure Coast (Fla.) Newspapers, The Stuart News, Fort Pierce Tribune and Vero Beach Press Journal.)
