Story by Mountain View Conference and Columbia Union Staff
Diana, a Beckley, W.Va., resident, joined the line at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center in Beckley at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, waiting for dental service. “I’m not afraid of the drill; I’m afraid of the bill,” she says, adding that she hadn’t been to a dentist in six years. "I can't afford dental care."
More than 1,100 patients, many with similar stories to Diana, have been treated at the Your Best Pathway to Health pop-up clinic since it opened Wednesday. As of publishing time, dental volunteers treated 165 people, other volunteer volunteers performed 18 surgeries, 131 HIV tests, performed 420 eye exams, fitted 299 pair of glasses, and provided 117 haircuts and provided 2,205 lunches to volunteers and patients.