Members of the El Cajon Rotary Club traveled south to Ensenada to lend a hand at the Thousand Smiles Clinic. Tasked with shopping and providing lunches for the volunteers, club members provided sandwiches and all accompaniments on Friday and chili and salad on Saturday. Members also had the opportunity to meet and talk to other Rotarians and volunteers as well as get a glimpse of the many services provided to young ones who otherwise would never receive care. This particular weekend, with school out on Friday, the clinic registered over 120 children to receive care. Families lined up outside starting in wee hour of the morning. Children were screened and provided basic exams and education on Friday with approximately 20 children returning on Saturday for necessary surgeries or more complicated procedures.
Volunteer professional staff included dentists, an ENT physician, anesthesiologist, audiologist, hygienists, dental students and nurses. Alongside Rotarians were community members both local and US based who provided meal preps, basic education and much more. The Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary club is likely to have a new Rotarian soon as a result of a first-time community volunteer who learned about Rotary and saw first-hand that Rotarians are People of Action!
El Cajon Rotary Club has a long-standing relationship with the Thousand Smiles Foundation providing volunteers, purchasing a commercial grade stove and building picnic tables for outside breaks and dining.
