Rita Belle, RN
Rita Belle, a registered nurse since 1969, has been volunteering with Mission of Mercy for 20-plus years every month at the Mesa mobile clinic located at Christ the King Community Center. She is responsible for triaging patients upon their arrival and finds her volunteer work with Mission of Mercy very rewarding.
“Every time I’m there is an overwhelmingly joyful day to do God’s work,” Belle says.
Belle, a devout Catholic, first discovered Mission of Mercy soon after the nonprofit established roots in Arizona back in 1997. She recalls reading an article about the new nonprofit in The Catholic Sun newspaper and making the decision to reach out and get involved. The rest is history!
Over the years, she’s befriended many patients, all of whom are “God’s children” in her eyes. They appreciate her compassionate care and sympathetic ear. In fact, several years ago, a homeless man who she cared for was so impressed with her passion for Mission of Mercy that he left $400,000 to the nonprofit in his will in Belle’s honor. Unbeknownst to Belle, her homeless friend, Richard Walters, was actually a millionaire (not to mention a Purdue graduate, Korean War veteran and former jet propulsion engineer), and he was eternally grateful for her friendship and care.
“You just never know who might need help,” Belle says. “We could very well be in their shoes. There is such a dire need for healthcare in our country, and many of the people we treat at Mission of Mercy are desperate for medical help and have nowhere else to turn.”
