During the Guardian’s Circle Donor Luncheon Patsy Lewis, a previous award winner, shared a few words. (Raquel Villatoro/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

St. Paul Children’s Services Guardian Circle Donor Luncheon honored local pediatrician Dr. Danny Price at Willow Brook Country Club on Tuesday during their luncheon.

Price previously worked as director of St. Paul before the clinic merged with Bethesda Health Clinic to become Bethesda Pediatrics, where he now serves as director. Since separating the medical services, St. Paul Children’s Services continues to serve low-income children and families through their food pantry and other programs.

Price was humbled to be recognized at the luncheon.

“To me it’s not so much of an honor for me, as it is just showing all of us in this room, how we locked arms and got through not only a difficult past but thriving going into the future,” Price said. “But it’s truly humbling and an honor.”

Since the merger, Bethesda Pediatrics has successfully expanded, Price said.

“It’s in God’s perfect timing,” Price said. “This week, we are finishing the expansion that we started back in 2021, but then had to pause. So just walking through those new rooms this morning, amen. It just is a practical example of how the medical clinic is really going into the future with lots of hope and excitement.”

Price graduated from Athens High School and went to UT Southwestern Medical School. He did his pediatric residency at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. George Brown, the first board certified pediatrician to practice in Tyler, brought Price to Tyler by hiring him.

After a week of working with Brown, he called Price into his office and told him he was going to send him to see Medicaid patients every other Friday at St. Paul. In 2003, he went on a medical mission trip to India.

“I didn’t know what I was gonna do with my life and if it weren’t for St. Paul, I don’t know,” Price said. “This was exactly what God had for me. For the last 15 years, we’ve joked that God had to take me to India, to see the poor right here around us and honestly … It took all this transition, I think, and this year, it’s not a joke. Like He really did.”

The Guardian’s Circle are donors who help provide funding for St. Paul’s programs. The luncheon was organized by nonprofit management consultant Patrick Willis, who gave the welcome speech. Attendees included Guardian’s Circle Board of Directors Jonathan Jetter and Johnny Ortiz, Smith County Judge Neal Franklin, Smith County Commissioner Pct. 3 candidate J. Scott Herod, Smith County Commissioner Pct. 1 Pam Frederick and previous Guardian’s Circle Award recipient Patsy Lewis.

In the summer, St. Paul does two programs: Khakis for Kids and a Virtual Shoes program, through which they provide new uniforms and new shoes for families in need. In 2023, St. Paul Children’s Services donated 357 new shoes, 140 new uniforms and served more than 48,000 pounds of food to 350 families in the area.

St. Paul is currently taking donations for their Khakis for Kids and Virtual Shoes programs. In addition, they need donations for diapers and food. They are always looking for volunteers, especially bilingual volunteers. The pantry is open every Thursday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 1358 E Richard St.

“Here, I see these people every week. So I get to see them flourish, I get to see them thrive,” said Crystal Smoker, Director of Operations at St. Paul Children’s Services. “It’s a good feeling. It’s a good reminder to keep going even when there’s hardships that come or challenges, it’s seeing their faces remind me that they are valuable enough and worthy enough to keep going because it’s making a difference.”

For more information on St. Paul, visit www.stpaulchildren.org. Fore more on Bethesda Pediatrics, visit bethesdaclinic.org/pediatrics.