This isn't Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or Black Friday.
But it was just another workday in the Fall; a very chilly morning on Friday, Nov 10th.
By about 6 am, a couple of hundred people had already lined up on the street, outside of a church on the cross roads of the 17th and G street in San Bernardino.
It was an unusual sight, as these people are not members of the church, nor do they have any relation to the church.
The same scene repeated on Sunday, Nov 12th, except this time, the line was longer, maybe up to 500 people. People waited in line as early as 2 am, some with children or babies, wrapped up in warm blankets.
They waited in line patiently so that they could get their teeth cleaned, extracted and/or cavities filled. They came to get their eyes examined and then to go home with prescription glasses; They came to get flu shots, HIV screening, Hepatitis C tests, seek medical advice about their medical conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, and even to receive legal counseling about their immigration, all at no cost.
These people represent hundreds and hundreds of people living in San Bernardino County who are medically uninsured or under-insured. One in 5 people in the county (which happens to be one of the poorest counties in California) live under the poverty line.
Members of the Loma Linda Chinese Seventh-day Adventist church, together with the members of the San Bernardino Community Adventist Church, decided it was time to do their bit as fellow citizens to reach out to this under-served population in their neighborhood in San Bernardino.
These two ethnically diverse groups of people—one group is predominantly Chinese while the other group African-Americans are color blind when it comes to helping people.
While they know they cannot solve all the problems faced by the impoverished community, they thought they could start by meeting some of the immediate needs of the people, specifically in the area of dental and vision care that is not accessible to them through no fault of their own.
For two days on Nov 10th, and 12th, these two local churches, in partnership with the San Bernardino Public Health Department, led a team of 400 volunteers, which included about 40 dentists and dental students, dozens of medical doctors, 2 ophthalmologists, 5 opticians, a few pharmacists, and hundreds of medical and non-medical professionals. Together, they served over 800 residents in the community through the AMEN Free Clinic.
Over the weekend, more than 400 dental procedures, and 200 eye examinations and 200 pairs of prescription glasses were provided. Free flu shots, HIV and Hepatitis C screenings were given.
No identification was required to receive treatment, and service was rendered on a first-come first-serve basis.
The mayor of the city of San Bernadino, Mr. Davis, as well as the Assembly woman Ms. Eloise Reyes visited the clinic. Both were impressed by the extent of the free services provided and the response from the community.
Over $200,000 worth of medical procedures given by 6,400 man hours over 2 days may seem to be enormous, but it is a drop of water in the ocean as far as meeting medical needs of the poor in San Bernardino is concerned. Is it worth it?
One woman who has suffered from diabetes for over 10 years came because of her impaired vision--a common co-morbidity of uncontrolled diabetes. She had been denied eye care because she could not get insurance to pay for it. But on Sunday, Nov 12th, she was grateful beyond words because not only did she get her free glasses, she also got her tooth fixed, blood pressure checked, and received diet counseling about her diabetes.
A woman who suffered from tooth decay for a long time and finally was able to have all 3 bad teeth removed was almost in tears after the procedures.
A couple who arrived at the scene at 2 am were the first in line to see the dentist. About 8 hours later, their teeth were fixed. I asked them if their wait was worth it? Yes, they said. Because they could smile again.
Many lives have been positively impacted. How can it not be worth it?
Over $200,000 worth of medical and health care provided by 6,400 man-hours.
Lives touched: priceless