Gift from the Heart Provides Free Dental Care at Belleville's Bridge Hub
Low-income residents received free dental services through a new partnership between two Belleville organizations. On Friday, volunteers from Gift from the Heart, a charity offering free dental care to those in need, brought their mobile clinic to The Bridge Integrated Care Hub on South Church Street.
Although both organizations share clients, this was the first time Gift from the Heart provided care at The Bridge. Bev Woods, founder of Gift from the Heart in 2007 and outgoing executive director, said the initiative aims to «достичь тех, кто не мог добраться до нас».
“Any treatment that you could have done at a traditional dental office, we can do from here,” Woods said before the clinic began its work.
First in line was Robert, a Belleville senior who came to have his seven remaining lower teeth extracted. He mentioned he had needed this care “quite a few years.”
“I’m on ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program benefits) and Canada Pension, so I can’t afford a dentist,” he said. “And this one here is free of charge … which I do appreciate. The application process is quite simple, and they help out with it. It’s actually new to me … having it done for free, versus maybe paying out of pocket so much money – money I don’t have.”
Gift from the Heart’s mobile dental clinic bridges critical care access gaps for Belleville’s vulnerable populations through community partnership.