Just Serve

The missionaries from Ventura and Camarillo zones were given the opportunity to be of service at the California Dentist Association's free clinic.  Everyone involved was giving of their time without pay to help provide free dental service.  Our missionaries helped set up on Friday and came back on Saturday to volunteer.

This event was very well organized.  The patient went from triage to decide what needed to be done.  X-rays were taken, fillings, oral surgery, extractions, cleanings, and dentures. Patients could not move around without one of us volunteers.

Many compliments were given to us and gratitude for the missionaries' help.

We had name tags and we put our missionary tags over them.

Elder Herrera

Elder Bradler

Sister Floyd and walking away is Elder Floyd.

This pic includes Hermana Johnson at the back with her back to us, Hermana Eames and Elder Floyd.

Sisters Hopkins and Jones

We were given t-shirts to wear which was our "pass" to move around freely to go between the two buildings.  The patients had to have a volunteer with them as they went from station to station.

Elder Iverson

Hermanas Kneip and Pirir

People lined up even on Friday morning to be seen on Saturday morning.  We helped Tony who said he was first in line and had been there for four days.  He was getting dentures.  He said he would accept missionaries to visit him.

Randy was so excited to get dentures where his front teeth were missing.  He said he was so excited to get his life back.

Elders Weiss, Summers and Sister Felix

Elders Strom and Davis

While people were standing in line outside, missionaries would take them food.

Elders Slaugh and Jo carried dental instruments to the cleaning area.

Sisters Felix and Iverson

Sister Iverson's shirt is yellow to show she can interpret (she does ASL), some of the missionaries did Spanish.

Elders Atkinson and Hales are cutting up strawberries for the volunteers to eat on their breaks.

Elders Gibb and King

Hermanas Hirst, Scott, Wright

The yellow tag lets others know they can interpret Spanish.

Sisters Houseman and Meglen

back clockwise:  Elders Hatman, Heck, Sisters Greding, Barnum, Elder Nielson

Receiving some instruction are Elders Barrios-Vega, Taufatofua, McLane

Elders Gemar and Routledge

Elder Iverson wrote to the coordinator requesting some particulars regarding the service. 

"The LDS volunteers have helped so much since the church got involved in December 2013. They have made CDA Cares better. We are truly grateful for LDS participation, not just the volunteers, but the connections to the community to help secure donations, get media coverage, support the patients with food/water, etc. The LDS point people I have had the privilege of working with are amazing people – smart, kind, generous and great to work with. Nothing is too big or too small and the answer to any request I have ever made is yes, we can help with that."

  

1,884 people served, $1,5 million in care provided

89 dentures

99 stayplates

1,394 volunteers

311 dentists

78 hygienists

305 dental assistants

28 lab technicians

177 dental students

43 medical professionals (physicians, nurses, nursing students)

452 community volunteers