The Free Clinic of Southwest Washington received a $5,000 grant from the Patterson Foundation, which will help fund its oral health program.
The clinic provides dental services at the Jim Parsley Community Center, 4100 Plomondon St., Vancouver, and in its mobile dental van at Clark County schools and community-sponsored events. Dental volunteers fill cavities and screen, seal and varnish children’s teeth.
Adult dental care includes extractions, fillings, repairing broken teeth and pain relief assistance. The dental care is important for many low-income people in Clark County.
“Restoring the oral health of families living in poverty eliminates a barrier to their participation in the workforce,” Executive Director Ann Wheelock said. “Access to dental care is a key component in breaking the cycle of inter-generational poverty.”
