May 14, 2015 (Photo Album) - A retirement reception was held for Jean Diebolt, Executive Director, of the Hope Clinic on Friday, May 8, 2015 at the Center Community House. In attendance for the event were members of the Hope Clinic board of directors, friends, family and Hope Clinic staff.
Rick Campbell and Michael Belgard, PA-C were present and spoke during the event following a toast.
"I know you're not really going anywhere because you're still going to be involved and I'll say this in my speech, but we want to toast you for all the things you've done so far, because I know that you're going to be doing lots more," said Campbell.
Campbell continued, "I didn't know Miss Jean that well until I became County Judge and I soon got to know Miss Jean. Because, she came to see me, she was like the third person in my office and she came to see me to talk about the needs of Shelby County and healthcare and kind of bring me up to speed about what was going on. You know there's a few folks in the world that what I call move mountains, and they sincerely do and not everybody gets to move a mountain but Miss Jean has definitely moved a few mountains, maybe even a few large meteorites. I'm sure she could deflect one if one was headed toward earth."
A story featured recently on the Episcopal Diocese of Texas website (see story here) focused on Diebolt and told a lot of history of the Hope Clinic and was referenced heavily by Campbell throughout his speech. Campbell finished, "It's been an honor to work with you, it's an honor for me to get to stand up here and talk about you and like I said, you may be kind of slowing down from the Hope Clinic but I see you doing other things," said Campbell. "Thank you for everything you have done for Shelby County, Shelby County is lucky to have you and we just all want to say thank you and congratulations."
Diebolt took the opportunity to speak to everyone and describe some of her experience with the beginning of the Hope Clinic, "It's been an honor to have been able to work in Shelby County and as it said, it was never my clinic, it was always the Lords work. He and I had one heck of an argument back there and I said what the, and I used a few expletives, do you have me doing here in Deep East Texas and I honestly believe I heard Him say in regard to that child who had been turned away, 'I have work for you to do.' so it's really been His work all the way. When it's His job and His business and you're just an instrument it's amazing how things just move out of your way and you get them done, and I really think that a lot of the success of the Hope Project was with divine intervention. Thank you all for being here."
Belgard spoke on behalf of the Hope Clinic staff and on the effect Diebolt has had on the lives of people involved with the clinic, "There is not a single person who is sitting here at any one of these tables or that's in this group today that hasn't been touched in some way by the goodness of your heart. Whether they, from the board members on down to the last person hired on the staff, you've made an impact in each and every one of their lives and there's not one of them that would not be in the position they're at had you not been in the position you was in."
He looked around the room and remarked on several people in the room who were helped by being in the company of Diebolt and he said everyone at the event owes her a debt of gratitude.
