Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Free Clinic Struggles to Meet Demand
Free Clinic Struggles to Meet DemandBy Bill Walsh
Times-Democrat Staff Writer
The situation facing food banks is getting a lot of press and publicity and official exposure, and the story is increasingly familiar. Demand for service is up — often way up — while donations and other support are on the decline.
Free health clinics are feeling the same pinch.
"We are open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and on Thursday nights," clinic Director Rob Marino said last week, "and we are getting more patients than we are comfortable with."
The stress on the clinic, he said, is directly related to the economy.
"A lot of our patients are in the building trades," Marino said. "I have a skewed view because I work at the free clinic, but I don't think anyone is building anything anymore.
"I am seeing patients like we have never seen before," he added. "If they have to give us a tax return to verify what their income was, the first thing they say is this looks like I have money because last year I had a job. But I don't have it anymore. We didn't used to hear that; that really has changed.
"Building trades, people working on a farm, people running their own small business — they all tell me there is no work to be done," he said.
On the other side of the equation, community support "has not gone up," Marino said.
For the complete story, see the March 25 Times-Democrat.
You must be logged in to post a comment.