What a treat it was this month to have a first-time medical and dental team volunteer at ACE to help us serve St. Mary Parish!
Normally, wellness teams join us in February, so you can imagine the courage and dedication this team from First Baptist Madison had wearing their scrubs in the summer heat and hauling their equipment into the depths of St. Mary Parish.
The Ministry of Health had asked us to visit Rock River, a location that ACE has not hosted a clinic for in over a decade. But, after an hour’s drive from the hotel, our team was greeted by large lines and even larger smiles.
The primary school up the hill allowed us to use their facility for dental visits and to conduct an educational training class for the students. We also operated out of our wellness center at Green Life Farm, and we were able to dedicate a full day to our special needs students and their families.
Beyond this wellness clinic offering dental and medical checkups, I’m honored to say that Edgehill School of Special Education has significantly benefited from ACE volunteers this summer. Teams also helped us pour a concrete driveway for them and upgrade their computer room, all before they start the new school year.
Overall, in just one day, we were able to provide 63 dental checkups and 41 medical checkups. Several of the volunteers from the team were not in the medical field, but they were still so eager to offer support in any way they could. Our team was so proud to watch them step up without hesitation and do a phenomenal job during the clinic.
I want to give a big thank you to every provider and volunteer who came just in time for us to prepare for the start of the school year.
Blessings,
Marla
TRIP COST
There is an old proverb, “If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” History proves that lasting change in a poverty culture is achieved by empowering the people to reach their full potential and become self-sustaining. ACE is invested in our community long-term and in conjunction with our partners in the US, we are identifying the circumstances of those around us in order to find real solutions for their unique needs.